Tag: defectors

defectors

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Unification Ministry adopts new term 'North Korean-born citizens'

The Ministry of Unification will use a new term, “North Korean-born citizens,” to refer to North Korean defectors to better reflect their status as South Korean nationals with full legal entitlements, officials said on Thursday.

2026.3.5

Performers dressed as 'Squid Game' (2021-25) soldiers march in a parade through central Seoul, followed by a fan event with the cast to celebrate the release of the third season of Netflix's hit series on June 28, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

North Korean defectors report executions for consuming South Korean media

North Korean residents who consumed South Korean media content have been publicly executed by the state, according to defector testimonies.

2026.2.5

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North Korean defector Maeng Hyo-shim speaks about her experience living and escaping North Korea during a public hearing hosted by the United Nations Human Rights Office in Seoul on Dec. 17. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Record 81 percent of North Korean defectors say they are 'satisfied' with life in South: Survey

A record 81 percent of North Korean defectors living in South Korea said they are "satisfied" with their lives in the South, amid an improvement in their overall economic situation, a survey showed Tuesday.

2025.12.23

North Koreans walk around a marketplace in Hyesan, Yanggang Province, in September 2020. The photo was taken from a region of China that borders North Korea. [YONHAP]

Defectors risk legal trouble, scams to send remittances to families in North Korea

North Korean defectors in South Korea face legal consequences for sending remittances home through illegal channels, as the government cracks down on these practices, viewing them as violations of foreign exchange laws.

2025.8.8

Defector Maeng Hyo-shim speaks about her experience living and escaping North Korea during a public hearing hosted by the United Nations Human Rights Office in Seoul on Wednesday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

‘No justice in North Korea’: Defectors at UN hearing testify about executions, mounting abuses by regime

North Korean defectors who testified this week at a two-day public hearing in Seoul hosted by the United Nations Human Rights Office described increasing fear, repression and corruption since the Covid-19 pandemic.

2025.6.27

A North Korean defector speaks during an event hosted by the Seoul office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Ohchr) held at the Global Center in Jung District on June 25. [YONHAP]

Heart emoji banned, K-pop punished: Defectors share details on North Korea’s brutal controls

North Korean defectors have been revealing chilling details about the regime’s relentless efforts to purge foreign cultural influence — and the deadly consequences of defiance.

2025.6.26

38 defectors entered South Korea in Q1 of 2025

A total of 38 North Korean defectors entered South Korea in the first quarter of this year, down slightly from the same period last year but up from 2023.

2025.4.17

Cho Min-ho, president of the Korea Hana Foundation, a public institution supporting North Korean defectors, speaks at a press conference in central Seoul on Dec. 27, 2023. He was dismissed from the post on Feb. 27. [YONHAP]

Head of foundation for North Korean defectors dismissed over alleged sexual harassment

The Unification Ministry on Thursday dismissed the head of the Korea Hana Foundation, a public institution supporting North Korean defectors, over allegations he sexually and verbally harassed employees, according to officials.

2025.2.27

A North Korean flag flutters in Kijong-dong village inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ), as seen from the Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 7. [YONHAP]

North Korean defectors arriving in South rose 20% in 2024, says Unification Ministry

The number of North Korean defectors who arrived in South Korea reached 236 in 2024, up by 20.4 percent compared to the previous year, according to the Unification Ministry on Tuesday.

2025.2.4

This image of the Aid to the Church in Need's report on North Korea is captured from the website of the organization. [YONHAP]

North sent repatriated defectors exposed to Christianity to prison camps, report says

Some North Korean defectors who were repatriated from China last year were sent to prison camps in North Korea for being exposed to Christianity, which the regime regards as a threat to its leadership, a report showed Thursday.

2024.11.28