BREAKING NEWS

Number of N. Korean defectors to S. Korea tops 20,000

SEOUL, South Korea — The number of North Koreans defecting to the South has surged in recent years because of economic suffering in the North, with more than 10,000 defections over the past three years, South Korea said Monday.
Most defectors travel through China to reach South Korea. About 2,500 defectors arrived in 2007 and the number has risen each year since. More than 2,900 defected last year.