North Korean defections to South Korea drop 35% to 63 in first half

Only 63 North Korean defectors resettled in South Korea in the first half of 2026, a 35 percent drop from a year earlier, the unification ministry said Thursday. Of the 63, 59 were women and four were men, bringing the cumulative total to 34,600. The same period last year saw 96 arrivals. A ministry official cited tightened North Korea-China border controls and restricted third-country movement. Defections had slowed sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic due to border closures, then rebounded to 196 in 2023, 236 in 2024, and 224 in 2025.