196 North Koreans Escape to South Korea in 2023

Last year, a total of 196 North Korean defectors entered South Korea.

An official from the Ministry of Unification revealed on the 18th at the ‘2023 North Korean Defectors Arrival Status Briefing’ that “the number of North Korean defectors who entered the country last year was recorded as 32 men and 164 women, a total of 196 people. This is an increase of three times the size compared to 2021 (63 people) and 2022 (67 people).”

Most of the defectors who entered the country last year had been long-term residents in ‘third countries’. Due to the overlap of COVID-19 and North Korea’s border closure in recent 3-4 years, the number of people who defected through the North Korea-China and North Korea-Russia borders was minimal. Hence, the proportion of those who defected earlier and stayed in third countries for a certain period before coming to our country was high, according to the Ministry of Unification.

As land defections became difficult, there were two cases of maritime defections last year, which did not occur from 2020 to 2022.

In addition, the Ministry of Unification revealed that there has been an increase in defections among North Korean diplomats, overseas residents, students, and the elite and young generations.

An official from the Ministry of Unification said, “We can’t reveal the exact number for security reasons, but we can confirm that the most significant number of the elite class has defected in recent years.”

By. Ga Hee Nam