Every week we ask a North Korean your questions, giving you the chance to learn more about the country we know so little about. This week a reader asks:

I am genuinely interested in knowing how the North prevents athletes who travel to other countries (the World Cup, Olympics, etc.) from defecting. I just cannot fathom how someone from the DPRK could willingly return after being exposed to international living conditions. 

There is almost no way you can go abroad from North Korea. Visiting foreign countries for a trip or for personal reasons is something the majority of people do