Seoul, South Korea – The number of North Korean defectors who entered South Korea last year totaled 236, an increase of 20.4% from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Unification.

The total consisted of 26 men and 216 women, the ministry said.

The number of defectors had been on the decline since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the closure of the North Korea-China border. In 2020, the number of defectors was 229, a sharp drop from the 1,137 in 2018 and 1,047 in 2019. The numbers continued to dwindle in the following years, with 63 in 2021 and 67 in 2022.

However, the number has been gradually increasing since then, with 196 in 2023 and 236 in 2024. The ministry official explained that the increase is due to the fact that more North Koreans who had been stranded in third countries for a long time due to the pandemic were able to enter South Korea last year.

"Three people crossed the border into South Korea last year, but most of the others came from third countries where they had been staying," the official said. "There are many cases where people come after staying in a third country for a long time."

The ministry also said that several elite North Koreans, such as diplomats and overseas workers, defected to South Korea last year.

The cumulative number of North Korean defectors who have entered South Korea since the end of the Korean War is now 34,314, with 9,568 men and 24,746 women.