The number of North Koreans working in South Korea’s public sector has reached an all-time high, according to Seoul’s unification ministry, highlighting government efforts to expand defector employment.

As of the end of last year, 211 North Korean defectors held jobs in the public sector, an increase of 17 from the previous year, a ministry report released on Wednesday shows. Among those, 37 worked in central government agencies and 82 in local governments, with the remainder employed in administrative support roles.

The report states that the government has committed to expanding support for hiring defectors through initiatives such as giving