‘High-ranking defectors increased last year,’ says unification minister

South Korean Minister of Unification Kim Young-ho said on Wednesday that the number of high-ranking North Korean defectors is increasing significantly. “A characteristic feature is that the number of people with diplomat backgrounds is rising,” Minister Kim said in a phone call with The Dong-A Ilbo. “Nearly 200 North Korean defectors entered the country last year.”

According to multiple South Korean high-ranking government officials, there were reportedly around 10 high-ranking North Korean defectors who arrived in South Korea last year. When COVID-19 spread, there were only two or three people per year, but the number increased significantly last year. It is interpreted that this is due to the North Korean elite being greatly shaken by the economic difficulties caused by strengthened sanctions against North Korea and the reinforcement of government control.

“The trend of diplomats working overseas and individuals in the trade sector defecting from North Korea is on the rise,” Vice Minister of Unification Moon Seung-hyun said at a media outlet. “The number of North Korean defectors who settled in Korea last year was about 190, three times more than the previous year.” The total number of North Korean defectors entering the country, which had remained in the 1,000 range in the 2010s, decreased significantly to the 60 range after the spread of COVID-19 but increased again to the 190 range last year.

The South Korean intelligence authorities indicate a potential likelihood of elites with current information in Pyongyang defecting in the first half of this year. As reported by NK News, a specialized media outlet on North Korea, the country is set to resume group tours to Pyongyang and east coast ski resorts, exclusively for Russians, from Feb. 9 to 12. Notably, North Korea has enforced a ban on tourist entry since January 2020, closing its borders as a preventive measure against the pandemic.


Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com