Since the Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953, tens of thousands of North Koreans have either escaped or attempted to escape the totalitarian regime. Defections from North Korea are risky and complex, as the government strictly controls both information and movement within its borders.
North Korean defectors face extreme risks, with many disappearing after being apprehended by the regime’s secret police. Once returned, defectors face harsh punishments, including interrogation, torture, and imprisonment in labor camps.
A recent report by the Transitional Justice Working Group highlights over 100 cases of enforced disappearances, revealing harsh crackdowns on those attempting to flee or connect with family abroad amid North Korea’s tightened border controls.
The group documented 113 individuals across 66 disappearance cases, catalogued in an archive managed with international partners, along with maps illustrating transfer routes. Among the 113, 80% (90 people) were arrested within North Korea, while the remainder were detained in China or Russia, with approximately 30% of these disappearances occurring after Kim Jong Un assumed power in late 2011.
Crossing the Demilitarized Zone
Although the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the South Korean border is nearly impossible to breach, several North Koreans have managed to defect to South Korea over the years. Since the Korean War, around 33,000 North Korean defectors have successfully made it to South Korea, where they receive resettlement assistance and support.
Some defection stories are especially daring, including a few high-profile cases of North Korean soldiers or officials escaping across the DMZ. In 2017, a North Korean soldier, Oh Chong-song, dramatically breached the heavily guarded Joint Security Area (JSA). North Korean guards fired at Oh Chong-song, which suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was eventually rescued by South Korean forces.
Defections to China
North Korean defectors often undertake perilous journeys, usually crossing into China. In China, defectors face the threat of repatriation, as Chinese authorities view them as economic migrants rather than refugees, and forcibly return them under an agreement with North Korea.
