Kim Jong Un

North Korea Defections Collapse as Border Controls Tighten and Fear Deepens

Defections from North Korea have fallen to near historic lows, with analysts and aid groups saying the route out of the country is now, for many would-be escapees, effectively closed. The decline reflects tighter border enforcement in North Korea and China, harsher penalties, and the lingering disruption caused by the pandemic-era shutdown of cross-border movement.