March 29, 2024
News

North Korean defectors to Seoul on the rise, but nowhere near last year’s count

At least 1,000 North Koreans came to the South every year for the last two decades. But so far, only 195 arrived in 2020

The number of North Korean defectors arriving in South Korea increased four-fold in the third quarter of 2020, according to new data from the Ministry of Unification’s press office.

In total, 48 North Korean defectors — 23 males and 25 females — came to South Korea between July 1 and Sept. 30, the unification ministry stated on Wednesday. A significant portion of these individuals came during August, when South Korea saw a spike of 39 new escapees

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