The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea nearly tripled in 2023 compared to the previous two years, authorities said Thursday – including a higher number of youth and members of the North Korean elite.
The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea experienced a substantial surge in 2023, nearly tripling compared to the previous two years. Significant rise in defections: Government data from Seoul's Unification Ministry revealed that 196 North Korean defectors arrived in South Korea last year, reported Yonhap News. The total number marked a nearly threefold increase compared to the past two years (63 defectors in 2021 and 67 in 2022) when pandemic-related border closures led to sharp declines in defections.
Kim Ju-ae has made 19 appearances since last year and was promoted to ‘General Morning Star’, indicating that she is a strong contender to be Kim’s successor. Shweta Sharma reports
South Korea said on Tuesday some tours of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas will restart for selected guests for the first time since they were suspended after a U.S. soldier dashed across the border four months ago. The DMZ tours, which are popular with foreign tourists, were halted after U.S. Army Private Travis King crossed into North Korea in July while on a tour. A tour will take place on Wednesday, attended by people with ties to South Korea's Unification Ministry, though tours for the general public remain suspended, said the ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs.
North Korea's recent closing of its diplomatic missions in Angola and Uganda was a sign that the reclusive country is struggling to make money overseas because of international sanctions, South Korea's unification ministry said on Tuesday. Both Angola and Uganda have forged friendly ties with North Korea since the 1970s, maintaining military cooperation and providing rare sources of foreign currency such as statue-building projects.
The North Korean government has announced it will attempt to launch a satellite between Aug. 24 and Aug. 31. Its previous attempt in May 2023 failed and landed in the Yellow Sea.
North Korea said it has no intention to "examine" South Korea's Hyundai Group chief's plan to visit the North's Mount Kumgang, North Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun has been seeking to visit North Korea in August and submitted applications to South Korea's unification ministry, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday, citing an unnamed official at the ministry.
The Ministry of Unification is poised to finishing monitoring “fake news” on North Korea only one year after starting the program amid lingering questions on its effectiveness. According to the ministry, Wednesday, it has decided not to earmark a budget for the program for 2023. Last year, 200 million won ($143,000) was budgeted to counter disinformation in 2022.