A new monument that commemorates North Korean defectors who have died while escaping from the repressive regime stands in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 1. Courtesy of Ministry of Unification Residents escape economic hardship; High-level defections also on rise By Kwak Yeon-soo A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea, Tuesday, by walking across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) on the heavily fortified inter-Korean border.
The defection occurred about two weeks after a North Korean resident crossed the maritime border in the Han River estuary on the west coast. In recent years, North Korea's elite, including high-level diplomats stationed abroad, have also defected to the South. The latest defector, Ri Il-gyu, fled from Cuba to South Korea in November of last year.
North Korea watchers and defectors residing in South Korea say these defections might indicate increasing economic hardship in the North and a growing desire for freedom among its residents, driven by access to information about the outside world. A loudspeaker for propaganda broadcasts is set up in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, June 6. Newsis They suggested that the recent defections by the soldier and resident may have been influenced by South Korea’s propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts and leaflets, which provide information about the outside world and the reality of the North Korean regime.
Since July 19, South Korea has been conducting full-scale anti-Pyongyang broadcasts through its border loudspeakers, p.