Politics North Koreans arrested after crossing the border in South Korea
A North Korean has been arrested after crossing the heavily fortified border with South Korea. According to the official Yonhap news agency, the man is said to have crossed the inter-Korean border late on Thursday evening (local time). He was initially detained there by the South Korean military. The man's exact background and motives are currently being investigated. It is not yet clear whether this was a deliberate escape attempt.
04.07.2025, 10:02
SDA
Especially before the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent border closure by North Korea, numerous North Koreans left their impoverished and authoritarian country every year in search of a better life. Most of them fled across the border to China. From there, many travel on to a third country in Southeast Asia and seek refuge in the South Korean embassy.
Crossing the inter-Korean border, on the other hand, is considered extremely dangerous and rare. The two Koreas are separated by a demarcation line up to four kilometers wide.
The number of North Korean refugees arriving in South Korea has been increasing again since 2023. According to figures from the Ministry of Unification in Seoul, a total of 236 North Koreans reached the neighboring country in the south via various routes in 2024. Before the pandemic, there were up to a thousand people per year.
