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North Korean defectors receive ITQ (computer skills) training at a computer lab in Hanawon's education center in Ansung-myeon, Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. Hanawon, a Ministry of Unification-affiliated institution supporting the social resettlement of North Korean defectors, recently marked its 24th anniversary. / Joint Press Corps

The number of North Korean defectors arriving in South Korea in the first half of this year has fallen sharply compared with last year. If the trend continues, this year's total is projected to hit the lowest level on record outside the pandemic period.

According to the Ministry of Unification on the 3rd, 63 North Korean defectors — 4 men and 59 women — arrived in South Korea as of June this year. This is down 33 from 96 during the same period last year, and less than half of last year's full-year total of 223 arrivals. Since the government began compiling annual figures on North Korean defector arrivals, the lowest levels were recorded in 2021 (63) and 2022 (67), and this year is expected to mark the third-lowest on record. However, since 127 defectors arrived in the second half of last year, exceeding the first-half figure, some say it's too early to draw firm conclusions.

The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea plummeted after North Korean authorities sealed the border amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including issuing a shoot-on-sight policy for anyone approaching the border, while China also tightened crackdowns on the movement of undocumented migrants. Arrivals, which had fallen to single digits during the pandemic, rebounded starting in 2023 and have held at around 200 per year through last year, but have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels in the thousands.

According to activists who help rescue North Korean defectors, tight control along the North Korea-China border and continued restrictions on defectors' movement within China still make the journey to South Korea difficult. According to the NK Database Center (NKDB), China has installed intelligent surveillance equipment at border checkpoints in some provinces, including Yunnan — a route commonly used by defectors — to detect the movement of undocumented migrants. Frequent conflicts and accidents among brokers who help guide defectors to South Korea are also cited as factors that put defectors' journeys at risk.

Some analysts also suggest that demand among defectors currently residing in China to move to South Korea has dropped significantly in recent years. As Chinese authorities have implemented policies aimed at preventing the departure of defectors who have started families in China, defectors are said to be less inclined to take the risk of heading to South Korea. One activist who helps rescue defectors said, "Chinese authorities are trying to prevent the 'breakup of families' that could result from defectors leaving for South Korea," adding, "Against the backdrop of China's own declining population, a relatively favorable environment for defectors to settle down is emerging."

The decline in defector arrivals to South Korea is also making it harder to grasp information about North Korea's current situation and human rights conditions. In particular, many defectors who arrived in South Korea around the pandemic period had spent long periods in third countries beforehand, which limits how well they can speak to North Korea's most recent realities. Song Han-na, director of the NK Database Center (NKDB), said, "The recent difficulty in understanding changes in North Korea or its human rights situation stems from the decline in defector arrivals and the increase in those who spent long periods in third countries," adding, "Still, the fundamental importance of recording victims' experiences and preparing for accountability through human rights investigations remains unchanged."

                                                                                                           Mok Yong-jae