North Korean escapees living in South Korea reported their highest-ever life satisfaction rate in 2024, according to an annual government survey released Friday, even as the rising unemployment rate among female defectors underlined persistent economic challenges.

Data gathered by the Hana Foundation found that 79.6% of escapees are satisfied with life in the ROK this year, up from 79.3% last year, 77.4% in 2022​ and 75.1% in 2021.

The Hana Foundation, a government organization that facilitates the resettlement of North Korean defectors, conducted the survey among 2,500 escapees aged 15 and above who arrived in South Korea between Jan. 1997