Why North Koreans Won't Be Fleeing South After Unification | NK News
NK News Logo
September 19, 2026Sep 19, 2026

Weapon Directory

Evergreen

Why North Koreans Won’t Be Fleeing South After Unification

During crises, most people survive by staying in their country of origin

In the event of unification or collapse of the North Korean government, the common line among most scholars is that hundreds of thousands of North Koreans will flee southwards in an attempt to join South Korea’s modern society, find new jobs, and escape the last remaining signs of the Kims. But South Korean researcher Song Young Hoon thinks differently, suggesting that in the event of sudden change we can expect many North Koreans to stay put, pointing out that in the event of contemporary global crises, most people survive by staying in their country of origin, rather than fleeing.

Focusing much