The Peninsula

The number of North Korean refugees reaching South Korea in 2025 held steady at 224, roughly the same as the prior two years. But those who made it are increasingly satisfied with their decision, a shift that matters because it suggests North Koreans are successfully integrating into South Korean society despite significant barriers.

A new survey found that 81.2 percent of North Korean refugees are satisfied with their lives in South Korea, the highest percentage since polling began in 2011. The primary reasons cited were freedom and improved earning opportunities, and employment among refugees reached 61.3 percent while unemployment dropped to 5.4 percent. Though a wage gap persists—refugees earn an average of 23 percent less than those born in South Korea—most North Koreans believe they can improve their social and economic status as well as their children’s. 

An Increasingly Perilous Journey

The number of people who fled North Korea and were granted entry to resettle in South Korea in 2025 was roughly the same as it was in 2024 and 2023. Consistent with past statistics, women accounted for the majority of escapees in 2025, with 198 women reaching South Korea and only 26 men. The total in 2024 was 236, and in 2023, it was 196.

The last three years have seen an increase in the number of North Koreans who resettled in South Korea during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when North Korean border guards were ordered to prevent the entry of anyone outside of North Korea to avoid outbreaks. As such, the number of North Koreans who successfully fled and resettled in South Korea dropped dramaticallyfrom previous years. In 2021, only 63 North Koreans resettled in the South, and in 2022, the number was only 67. The number in 2025 was significantly lower than the last pre-pandemic figure in 2019, when 1,047 were admitted to South Korea. The peak year for North Korean defectors in the South was 2009, when 2,914 arrived. The number of North Koreans resettling in the South has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, but the increase over the last three years is noteworthy.

North Koreans who have found refuge in South Korea are disproportionately women. Government statistics indicate that 34,538 North Koreans have resettled in South Korea between the late 1990s and December 2025. Of that number, 72 percent are women. The resettlement numbers for women in the last three years were even higher. In 2025, some 88 percent were women. In 2024, it was 89 percent, and in 2023, it was 85 percent. During the pandemic, when the number of North Koreans defecting to the South significantly declined, the percentage of women was much lower. In 2022, only 48 percent of the 67 escapees were women, and in 2021, 36 percent of the 63 were women. That is most likely because men hold jobs in institutions where government control is strong, while women are more involved in the small, free-market economy permitted to function.

Since 2019, a significant portion of North Koreans who have reached the South are those who have been out of North Korea for longer periods than in earlier years. Recently, most have spent some time in China—in some cases, years—working illegally before making the final step and surreptitiously fleeing to South Korea.

The Chinese government has also tightened its border controls to prevent ethnic Chinese citizens from leaving the country without official sanction, which has made it more difficult and risky for North Koreans to escape through China. There are indications that the Chinese government is taking a tougher approach to identifying and controlling its own population, and this has affected North Koreans living and working in the country.

The North Koreans arriving in South Korea post-pandemic were also primarily young adults. In the first quarter of 2025, of the 38 North Koreans who resettled in South Korea, half were young women in their twenties and thirties. Those arriving now are largely individuals who left North Korea before the pandemic and lived outside the country, principally China, before seeking entry in South Korea. Therefore, it is unlikely that the number of new arrivals in South Korea will grow.

Because the inter-Korean border is heavily guarded by well-armed troops on both sides, North Koreans who seek refuge in South Korea seldom cross the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Occasionally, a North Korean border guard will successfully cross the land border, but that is unusual. Most refugees cross into China and escape through Laos, Thailand, or Cambodia. Due to tightening border restrictions during the pandemic, North Korea has been much more aggressive and much more successful in preventing North Koreans from crossing into China and then surreptitiously making their way into Southeast Asia.

The idea of fleeing North Korea and “defecting” to South Korea is sufficiently well-known in North Korea that two North Koreans soldiers, who fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine and were captured by Ukrainian troops, requested that they be allowed to go to South Korea. The South Korean government recently acknowledged the possibility of the transfer. A recent news story by French news agency AFP reported the desire of these North Korean soldiers to go to South Korea.

North Koreans Are “Satisfied” With Life in South Korea

The government-affiliated Korea Hana Foundation has conducted annual surveys of North Korean refugees since 2011 to determine their satisfaction with life in the South. Results of the latest survey were published in December 2025. The data was gathered from face-to-face interviews by specialized counselors at the Hana Foundation, conducted with some 2,500 refugees over the age of 15 who resettled in South Korea since January 1997.

Of those interviewed, 81.2 percent said they were “satisfied” with life in South Korea, citing “freedom and improved earning opportunities.” This figure was 1.6 percent higher than the previous year’s survey and the highest since polling began in 2011. The principal reason cited for this satisfaction was “being able to live freely” and being able to “earn income commensurate with their work.” The principal reason for dissatisfaction was “separation from family” still living in North Korea.

The increase in North Koreans’ positive outlook is most likely related to improved living and working conditions. The employment rate of refugees in South Korea reached 61.3 percent—up 1.2 percentage points from the previous year—and the unemployment rate dropped 0.9 points to 5.4 percent. These changes suggest that North Koreans are increasingly moving toward living and working conditions comparable to those of native South Koreans, though the differences are not completely erased.

There remains a significant wage gap between North Koreans living in South Korea, who earn an average monthly income of KRW 2.61 million (USD 1,817)—by comparison, the average income of the South Korean population is KRW 3.2 million (USD 2,228). Some 62 percent of North Koreans expressed satisfaction with their social and economic achievements, and 72 percent said they believe they can improve their social and economic status as well as their children’s.

One particular concern for North Korean refugees involves mental health. Many defectors have suffered extreme trauma in the North and during their journey to escape to South Korea. They are unlikely to seek the help of trained professionals, as most refugees do not know where to find such help. According to a survey of North Korean refugees in South Korea, about 15 percent admit to having suicidal thoughts, which is triple the rate in South Korea. That is noteworthy because South Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD countries.

The number of North Koreans who can leave North Korea, travel through China, escape to Southeast Asia, and gain admission to South Korea continues to be modest. Most of the small number of refugees now in South Korea appear to be individuals who left North Korea before the pandemic and took a longer time to get to South Korea. There is no indication that this is likely to change.

One noteworthy action the Lee Jae Myung administration is considering is changing the term for North Koreans who have become South Korean citizens. The current official term most often used is translated into English as “defector.” Shortly after President Lee assumed office last summer, the Korea Herald reported that Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young reported that a study had been commissioned to change the official terminology (talbukmin in Korean). The intention is to come up with a less political term. The word bukhyangmin (“people who hail from North Korea”) is reportedly the term most favored by the North Korean community in the South.

Perhaps the bigger question over the course of Lee’s presidency is whether improved living conditions and employment rates will continue to narrow the gap between North Koreans in the South and native South Koreans, or whether mental health challenges, family separation, and other obstacles will keep integration incomplete.