Defections by North Korean elites have been on the rise while ordinary North Koreans find it harder to escape, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Unification. Before the defection from Cuba, the last known defection of North Korean officials stationed abroad was in 2019. Since the pandemic, the North Korean government has largely sealed its border with China by constructing fences and guard posts to prevent defections. When North Koreans defect, the regime often punishes family members, by holding them hostage or sending them to prison camps. “North Korean diplomats will continue to defect,” he wrote in the post.

Source: Wall Street Journal July 17, 2024 04:39 UTC