Episode 31 – Why is the number of North Korean refugees dwindling?

Ask me about North Korea

People fleeing from North Korea are not a new phenomenon. Since the division of Korea after the end of the Korean War, citizens of the DPRK have fled from their country for not only political or ideological, but also economic and personal reasons. So, the area from which my question stems is quite well-studied – there have been hundreds of interviews, media reports, memoirs, and research articles written in this area. However, in this episode I would like to give you a quick introduction on the topic and, more importantly, explain why the numbers of people fleeing from North Korea has been dwindling even before the COVID-19 outbreak.