North Korean defectors to South Korea reached a record low in second quarter

The number of North Korean defectors to South Korea reached a record low in the second quarter of the year due to the restrictions triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, Seouls Unification Ministry reported on Wednesday. Between April and June, only 12 deserters were estimated to have entered South Korea, which is 96 per cent down on the same period last year and the lowest quarterly figure since the Seoul government began to record the data in 2003, reports Efe news reports. "The biggest reason behind the decline is that the national borders of these countries were closed after the outbreak of the coronavirus and cross-border movement became difficult," Ministry spokesperson Yoh Sang-key said at a press conference. Unable to access South Korea by land due to the demilitarized zone that divides the two countries, most deserters cross into China and from there try to reach a third country in which they can request asylum through embassies and South Korean consulates – something that Beijing does not allow in China.(IANS)

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