4 Things You Need to Know About North Korean Defectors
Originally Published on November 24, 2019
1. What are defectors? What risks do defectors face if caught?
The term defector is most commonly defined as an individual who has abandoned their allegiance to their country or cause in favour of another in a manner which is not considered legally permissible by the first country (Human Rights Watch, 2018). According to the North Korean Ministry of People’s Security, defection is a crime that will be punished by either sentencing returning defectors to kyohwaso (long-term ordinary prisons), rodong danryeonda (short-term detention prisons), and kwanliso (political prison camps) (Human Rights Watch, 2018). According to Human Rights Watch, individuals within prisons are increasingly at risk for poor living conditions including forced labour, sexual violence, torture, among other human rights abuses (Human Rights Watch, 2018).
Photo by Emiliano Bar on Unsplash
2. Which countries do North Korean defectors primarily flee to?
Defectors fleeing from North Korea primarily flee from the North Hamgyong Province, one of North Korea’s most resource deficient regions, to countries such as China, Mongolia and other countries in Southeast Asia (Migration Policy Institute, 2019). Statistics surrounding migration to countries such as China are unclear, with estimates of defectors entering China ranging from 30,000 to 300,000 (Migration Policy Institute, 2019). Findings from the Ministry of Unification in South Korea parallel such statistics, with the number of North Korea defectors entering South Korea between 1998 and 2018 totalling up to roughly 33,000 individuals (Ministry of Unification, 2013). While some defectors choose to stay in China due to barriers in traveling further, others utilize China as a country of temporary residence. According to one survey conducted by the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, the majority of DPRK defectors plan to temporarily reside in China and later, to permanently reside in South Korea (Migration Policy Institute, 2019). Many defectors cannot directly travel to South Korea due to the presence of the demilitarization zone between the two countries, which is heavily patrolled by North and South Korean military personnel (Migration Policy Institute, 2019).
Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash
3. Which pathways currently exist for North Korean defectors to leave DPRK?
As no legal means of existing North Korea currently exist, the 1,400 mile long border between China and North Korea is a common route (Migration Policy Institute, 2019). Under Kim Jong-un, the North Korean government has implemented a series of measures to restrict unauthorized travel across the DPRK-China border (Human Rights Watch, 2018). These measures include the increased presence of border guards, security cameras and barbed wire fences (Human Rights Watch, 2018). Given the increased crackdown on capturing defectors and returning them to DPRK both by Chinese and North Korean authorities as per the ‘Mutual Cooperation Protocol for the Work of Maintaining National Security and Social Order in the Border Areas’, smuggling networks have become an increasingly popular resource in identifying where safe routes exist and when to utilize them (Migration Policy Institute, 2019). Some smuggling networks additionally offer defectors the opportunity to be accompanied throughout their journey with payments ranging from US$1,250 and US$19,950 per person. This avenue of travel holds additional risks for women, many of whom are trafficked by smugglers and sold to Chinese men as brides (Migration Policy Institute, 2019).
4. How have ‘host countries’ responded to North Korean defectors?
Despite the existence of the North Korean Human Rights Act, which requires the establishment of a North Korean Human Rights Foundation in Seoul, the South Korean Government has not made explicit efforts to uphold this act (Human Rights Watch, 2018). Under the South Korean constitution, however, North Korean defectors are implicitly considered citizens of South Korea and thus, have the right to resettlement (Migration Policy Institution, 2019).
The Chinese government has taken alternative sentiments in approaching the North Korean human rights crisis by overlooking its responsibilities as a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and by viewing North Korean defectors as unauthorized individuals who must be repatriated (Human Rights Watch, 2018; Migration Policy Institution, 2019).
Other countries in Southeast Asia and Mongolia offer greater opportunities for fleeing North Korea due to looser border control policies. In Thailand, DPRK defectors who are caught are still provided with access to the UNHCR refugee-determination process and are most likely to be settled in South Korea (Migration Policy Institution, 2019).
Photo by Rob Coates on Unsplash
References
Human Rights Watch. (2019, January 17). World Report 2019: Rights Trends in North Korea. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/north-korea.
Tanaka, H. (2019, July 19). North Korea: Understanding Migration to and from a Closed Country. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/north-korea-understanding-migration-and-closed-country.
Ministry of Unification. (2013). Policy on North Korean Defectors. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from https://www.unikorea.go.kr/eng_unikorea/relations/statistics/defectors/
Comments