Nearly three dozen North Korean defectors who lived near the country’s nuclear test site have shown signs of chromosomal abnormalities, although researchers have not established a direct link to the tests, according to Seoul.

Radiation exposure tests conducted in 2024 on 35 North Korean defectors from areas near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site found that 12 individuals showed genetic abnormalities, the Unification Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The tests conducted by the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences (KIRAMS) showed that the 12 positive cases had chromosome changes that could be linked to past radiation exposure, the