Defector Issues
Information related to North Korean defector issues
Nonprofit fined after defector data found in balloon launched toward North Korea
South Korean police found personal information of 131 defectors on SD card sent by nonprofit’s employee
October 20, 2026
A school for North Korean defectors found a new home. Then the backlash came.
Local residents have rallied against planned Seoul campus in a public chatroom, laying bare anti-defector prejudice
October 16, 2026
UN special envoy calls for North Korea to declare moratorium on death penalty
Elizabeth Salmón also warns about retaliation against families of North Korean POWs transferred from Ukraine to ROK
October 14, 2026
North Korean escapee takes lead of defector aid group in South Korea
Kim Young-hui is the first North Korean defector to lead the Korea Hana Foundation based in South Korea
October 13, 2026
Seoul’s envoy recall over North Korean POW spat draws backlash in Ukraine, ROK
Kyiv says it remains open to dialogue, while South Korean opposition slams recall as counter to national interest
October 9, 2026
Defector who facilitated remittances to North Korea acquitted in landmark case
South Korea’s Supreme Court rules defendant did not violate law because DPRK is not a foreign country under constitution
October 6, 2026
North Korea slams UN report on human rights abuses as ‘propaganda’
Report by UN chief calls for prosecuting perpetrators, dismantling political prison camps and ending forced labor.
October 5, 2026
North Korea in September 2026: A month in review and what’s ahead
An analytical look at the main developments from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30, 2026
October 2, 2026
Ask a North Korean: What was it like to secretly watch South Korean dramas?
A defector recalls trading banned videos, bribing his way out of crackdowns and questioning life in the DPRK
North Korean embassy in China imprisoning suspected defectors: report
North Korea’s ‘transnational repression’ is violating basic rights in China, a human rights group alleged.
September 29, 2026
