On April 30, NK News reported that forty-three North Korean escapees reached South Korea in the first quarter of the year. This is a slight increase year-on-year but still well below pre-pandemic levels. The drop in numbers results from pandemic restrictions in North Korea as well as China and other typical transit countries, as well as new fencing and controls on both sides of the China-DPRK border.

The article quoted NKDB’s Executive Director, Hanna Song, who discussed the issue of overseas North Korean workers, expressed hope that more escapees will be able to reach South Korea, and addressed the accessibility of the DPRK to diplomats from nations with close ties.

"The opening of the borders perhaps made diplomats rethink what their lives would be if they were to come back and … given North Korea’s current place in the world, whether they’d ever then be able to leave again,” she previously said.

“Let’s hope that now that the pandemic is over, more groups that usually help the escape of North Koreans can be back on the ground because so many left during the pandemic,” 

“With the international community being so excited that North Korea’s opening up its borders and being able to go back in, many embassies and other groups are competing to be the first ones in [to North Korea]”...  “Hopefully, they do remember that they have the freedom to go in and out, whereas the North Korean people do not.” 

You can find the full article on the NK News website by clicking HERE.