[Graphic News] Fewer than 100 North Koreans a month defected to the South

According to the Ministry of Unification, fewer than 100 North Koreans a month defected to the South last year, the lowest in 15 years as Pyongyang and Beijing both have tightened controls on movement.

A total of 1,127 North Koreans came to the South last year, down 21 percent from 2016, according to data from the Ministry of Unification. It was the lowest figure since 2001.

As of the end of December, more than 31,000 North Korean defectors had entered the South since 1948, when the two Koreas were officially separated into different states. Numbers peaked at 2,914 in 2009 and have mostly declined in recent years.