Record Number of North Korean Defectors Employed in South Korea's Public Sector

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: Getty Images

Seoul has reported a significant increase in the number of North Korean defectors working in the South's public sector, with the total reaching 211 by the end of 2024. This figure marks an increase of 17 from the previous year and is the highest since 2010, when North Korean defectors began to enter public service in earnest, according to a statement from the Ministry of Unification.

The South Korean government has been expanding its support for North Korean defectors, who often face challenges such as unemployment and social isolation as they adapt to their new lives in the South. "There is a growing need to expand opportunities for North Korean defectors to enter public service so that they can directly participate in and contribute to the government's policymaking," the ministry stated.

In recent years, authorities in Seoul have intensified social integration programs and provided financial support and tax incentives to companies that hire North Korean defectors. At an event on Wednesday, Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho shared a meal with defectors currently serving in public roles, highlighting the government's commitment to their integration.

Approximately 30,000 North Korean defectors reside in South Korea, but the number of defections has declined since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to border closures. Prior to 2020, more than 1,000 North Koreans fled to the South each year. The North Korean regime denounces defectors, and rights groups report that those caught attempting to escape face severe punishment, including imprisonment and torture.

In a notable development, former North Korean diplomat Tae Yong-ho was appointed as the new leader of South Korea's presidential advisory council on unification last July, becoming the first defector to hold such a high-ranking position in the South Korean government. Tae previously made history in 2020 as the first defector elected to South Korea's National Assembly, despite being labeled "human scum" by Pyongyang and facing accusations of embezzlement.

Defectors provide a rare glimpse into the secretive regime led by Kim Jong Un, sharing harrowing accounts of human rights abuses, including widespread starvation, forced labor, and state-enforced disappearances. However, many defectors encounter significant obstacles as they settle into their new lives, including difficulties in securing stable employment, social stigma, and mental health challenges stemming from their traumatic experiences in the North.