North Korea
Changing trends of N. Koreans' defections point to grim life in Pyongyang
Oct. 9, 2016
More North Koreans, including elites, have defected to South Korea in search of a better life, with the number of asylum seekers set to top the 30,000 mark soon, experts said Sunday, a development that reflects the grim lives of the people living in the reclusive country.As of end-September, the number of North Korean defectors reached about 29,830 in total, with 1,036 North Koreans having come to the South in the first nine months of this year, according to data by Seoul's unification ministry.