Number of North Koreans Escaping South Drops by Half Under Kim Jong Un

The number of North Koreans who have crossed into South has dropped by half since Kim Jong Un came to power in Pyongyang four years ago, the Seoul-based Reunification Ministry said Monday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — The South Korean ministry estimates that only 1,277 North Korean deserters arrived in the South through China and neighboring countries in 2015, compared to 2,706 people in 2011.

According to official statistics, the number of North Korean arrivals in South Korea has been declining steadily since Kim Jong Un assumed leadership in the North in April 2012. Some 80 percent of North Koreans fleeing the country are reported to be women.