The number of North Korean defectors who managed to enter South Korea in 2023 has almost tripled compared to the previous two years, says the Crusoe.
According to the South Korean Unification Ministry 196 deserters came into the country last year. Of them, more than half were between 20 and 30 years old, and around 84% were women or girls.
Although it is still below prepandemic levels when 1,047 defectors arrived in South Korea in 2019 this increase represents a significant change after a decline during the pandemic.
In 2021, only 63 deserters have entered the country and 67 cases were recorded in 2022. During the pandemic the… North Korea has closed its already restricted borderswhich deepened his isolation even further.
However, the country began easing border rules in 2023, allowing the return of citizens living abroad and allowing international flights to resume to some countries such as China and Russia. Nevertheless, some North Koreans living abroad decided against returning and decided to flee to the South.
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