Restart of North Korean Defector Entry... Zero Boat People Due to Forced Repatriation Impact

Nearly 100 Defectors in First Half of Year, Fivefold Increase from Last Year
Concerns Over North Korean Defector Activities Shrinking Due to Strengthened Surveillance by China and Russia
"Defection Intentions Are Political Judgments... Closed-Door Interrogations Must Be Improved"

As the number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea shows signs of recovery, concerns are being raised that escape activities may shrink due to strengthened surveillance by China and Russia, which share borders with North Korea. To revive the maritime route, which had been subdued after the 'forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen,' there are calls for improvements starting with the 'closed-door interrogation' that allows the government to judge the intention to defect based on political considerations.

According to the Ministry of Unification on the 20th, the number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea in the second quarter (April to June) this year was 65, bringing the cumulative total for the first half of the year to 99. This is more than five times the 19 recorded in the first half of last year. Especially compared to the annual figure of around 60 in 2021-2022, this is a clear recovery trend. Most of those who recently entered South Korea had stayed in third countries such as China, which is attributed to China's easing of movement restrictions.

The squid fishing wooden boat used by North Korean fishermen who were forcibly repatriated in November 2019 during the Moon Jae-in administration.
[Photo by Ministry of Unification]

However, concerns are emerging that escape attempts may shrink again due to strengthened surveillance by China and Russia. Despite international criticism, China maintains a policy of forcibly repatriating North Korean defectors residing in China, and recent measures such as facial recognition CCTV and the enforcement of the revised Anti-Espionage Act are making defection activities even more difficult.

The situation is not favorable in Russia either, where land escape was previously possible. For example, the wife and son of a North Korean trade delegation official who escaped from Vladivostok early last month were recently captured by Russian authorities and handed over to the North Korean embassy in Moscow. The mother and son detained at the embassy are reportedly classified as 'top priority for repatriation.'

Professor Kang Dong-wan of Dong-A University advised, "We need to send a clearer message to prevent the repatriation of North Korean defectors in China and, furthermore, show solidarity with the international community. Since it is realistically limited for the government to directly support defections, efforts are also needed to continuously send positive information to North Korea, such as cases of successful settlement in South Korea."

Maritime Defections Shrink After Repatriation... Will the Defection Stream Resume?

If the land routes through China and Russia are blocked, the escape options for North Korean residents narrow down to the 'sea.' Although maritime defections significantly declined after the 'forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen,' recent emergence of family-unit 'boat people' has led to speculation that the defection stream may resume.

According to data related to 'maritime defections' submitted by the Ministry of Unification through the office of Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, from 2014 until November 2019 when repatriation incidents occurred, 150 people defected by sea, and 35 ultimately defected successfully. After repatriation, no defectors appeared. A source close to North Korea said, "With the border closed and news of repatriation spreading, rumors that 'South Korea is not safe either' circulated."

However, in early May, for the first time since the forced repatriation, nine people defected to the West Sea by boat. This has led to expectations that North Korean residents may attempt to defect again by sea. At that time, the emergence of family-unit 'boat people' after several years was evaluated as reflecting "expectations that they would not be repatriated under President Yoon Suk-yeol's principle of accepting all defectors."

Over the past decade from 2014 to the end of last month, maritime defections have been concentrated in the East Sea. Counting the number of defectors based on the time of defection regardless of the decision to accept or repatriate, 136 (81.0%) occurred in the East Sea, 26 (15.5%) in the West Sea, and 6 (3.6%) in the South Sea. The West Coast is close to Pyongyang and heavily monitored, while the East Coast is known to be easier to attempt departure by bribing squid fishing boats.

Unstable Conditions for Expressing 'Intention to Defect'... "Political Considerations Involved"

North Korean fishermen struggling while refusing repatriation.
[Photo by Ministry of Unification]

There is also an opinion that the fundamental issue is to improve the 'closed-door interrogation.' When defectors cross over from North Korea, they usually undergo a 'joint interrogation' lasting about two weeks with the participation of related agencies such as the National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Unification, and the military. However, since the entire process is conducted privately, there have been criticisms that the government arbitrarily judges the purpose of defection or that defectors are exposed to numerous human rights violations, similar to the 'fabricated spy' cases.

For example, even the fishermen who were repatriated expressed their intention to defect multiple times, but the government at the time judged that there was 'no sincerity.' According to testimonies from several defectors, it is difficult to clearly state 'I came to defect' immediately due to worries about family members left behind in North Korea. It is a condition where, in a psychologically unstable state, the intention can be reversed depending on the pressure or friendliness of the interrogators.

Lee Young-hwan, former head of the Transitional Justice Working Group, said, "Although related agencies gather for joint interrogation, which seems to strictly follow laws and procedures, in reality, under the leadership of the National Intelligence Service, there has been a continuous risk of judgments based on 'political considerations' because they watch the presidential office more than the law. Internationally, refugee screening is handled by the Ministry of Justice, so the Ministry of Justice or prosecutors should supervise the appropriateness of the interrogation," he suggested.

The government emphasized the 'principle of accepting all defectors.' A Ministry of Unification official explained, "The government takes the position of accepting all defectors on humanitarian and compatriot love grounds if they wish to come to South Korea," adding, "We accept them in accordance with domestic law and international laws such as the United Nations (UN) Refugee Convention."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.