Without a trace: Missing North Korean defectors expose gaps in welfare system | NK News
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October 15, 2024
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Without a trace: Missing North Korean defectors expose gaps in welfare system

New report reveals 70 defectors’ whereabouts are unknown in South Korea, leading experts to call for increased support

Seventy North Korean defectors’ whereabouts remain unknown as of last year, including 11 who have been missing for over a decade, according to a South Korean unification ministry report. 

The data report, provided to NK News by South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Hong Keewon’s office, indicates an increase of eight unaccounted-for defectors compared to 2022. 

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