‘Currently impossible’: North Korea defections in freefall

North Korea has become increasingly difficult for its citizens to defect to South Korea, with fewer people successfully escaping in recent years. The main reason for this decline is North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's aim to preserve his family dynasty by sealing the country off from the outside world. Kim has restricted informal trade and migration links along the 1,415-kilometre northern border with China, installing fences, cameras, and sand strips to prevent crossings.

China, in turn, has assisted North Korea by deploying facial recognition cameras and increasing patrols along its northeastern border. As a result, North Korean defectors have dropped from over 2,900 annually in 2009 to just 63 in the first half of 2026, a decrease of over a third compared to the same period in 2025. Defectors often rely on smugglers and navigate through neighboring countries like China, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand before reaching South Korea.

The decline in defectors is concerning, as they are the primary source of information about life in North Korea for both South Korean intelligence and researchers. Some North Koreans, like Gyuri Kang, have attempted to escape by boat, highlighting the ongoing struggle to break free from the isolated nation. The North Korean authorities have intensified efforts to suppress any outside influence, making possession of foreign media a punishable crime that can lead to forced labor or even death sentences.

Kim Jong Un's actions to isolate North Korea are seen as a way to maintain his family's rule, as exposure to external information could potentially lead to the overthrow of the regime.