The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea nearly tripled in 2023 compared to the previous two years, authorities said Thursday – including a higher number of youth and members of the North Korean elite.
The total figure is just a fraction of pre-pandemic levels – 1,047 defectors arrived in 2019 – but it still marks a significant rise after a steep decline during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Many must have found it unacceptable after experiencing what (it) was like to live in the free world, knowing that the economic situation even worsened and internal controls strengthened in North Korea,” the official said.
While millions of North Koreans live in impoverished conditions under the dynastic dictatorship of leader Kim Jong Un, the country’s wealthy elite, such as senior government officials and their families, reportedly have access to luxuries such as air conditioning, coffee and even smartphones – though the phones can only access heavily censored government-run intranet.
These residents mostly live in the capital Pyongyang, where a privileged few enjoy facilities like cinemas, department stores and indoor gyms.
After entering China, many cross the border illegally into Laos or Myanmar and head for the South Korean embassy in those countries or continue through to Thailand.
China, a close ally of Pyongyang, doesn’t consider North Korean defectors to be refugees, instead seeing them as illegal economic migrants.
The original article contains 602 words, the summary contains 189 words. Saved 69%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The total figure is just a fraction of pre-pandemic levels – 1,047 defectors arrived in 2019 – but it still marks a significant rise after a steep decline during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Many must have found it unacceptable after experiencing what (it) was like to live in the free world, knowing that the economic situation even worsened and internal controls strengthened in North Korea,” the official said.
While millions of North Koreans live in impoverished conditions under the dynastic dictatorship of leader Kim Jong Un, the country’s wealthy elite, such as senior government officials and their families, reportedly have access to luxuries such as air conditioning, coffee and even smartphones – though the phones can only access heavily censored government-run intranet.
These residents mostly live in the capital Pyongyang, where a privileged few enjoy facilities like cinemas, department stores and indoor gyms.
After entering China, many cross the border illegally into Laos or Myanmar and head for the South Korean embassy in those countries or continue through to Thailand.
China, a close ally of Pyongyang, doesn’t consider North Korean defectors to be refugees, instead seeing them as illegal economic migrants.
The original article contains 602 words, the summary contains 189 words. Saved 69%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!