Young North Korean defectors and the children of escapees who have resettled in the South are dropping out of high school at more than twice the rate of their peers, according to new government data, underscoring the unique challenges that these students face due to language and cultural barriers.

Around 2.2% of the 2,412 students with a North Korean background as of April 2024 had dropped out of elementary, middle and high schools, progressive Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Kang Kyung-sook’s office told NK News on Monday, citing data compiled by the government-run Korean Educational Development Institute.

Roughly 4.4% of high