Settlement Support for North Korean Defectors
1. Number of North Korean Defectors Entering South Korea
-
As of December 2023.12, a total of 34,078 North Korean defectors entered South Korea.
- 1948 : First defection to the South
February 2007 : Number of defectors reached 10,000 persons
November 2010 : Number reached 20,000 persons
November 2016 : Number reached 30,000 persons
- 1948 : First defection to the South
| ~'98' | ~'01 | '02 | '03 | '04 | '05 | '06 | '07 | '08 | '09 | '10 | '11 | '12 | '13 | '14 | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24.9 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 831 | 565 | 510 | 474 | 626 | 424 | 515 | 573 | 608 | 662 | 591 | 795 | 404 | 369 | 305 | 251 | 302 | 188 | 168 | 202 | 72 | 40 | 35 | 32 | 22 | 9,564 |
| Female | 116 | 478 | 632 | 811 | 1,272 | 960 | 1,513 | 1,981 | 2,195 | 2,252 | 1,811 | 1,911 | 1,098 | 1,145 | 1,092 | 1,024 | 1,116 | 939 | 969 | 845 | 157 | 23 | 32 | 164 | 159 | 24,695 |
| Total | 947 | 1,043 | 1,142 | 1,285 | 1,898 | 1,384 | 2,028 | 2,554 | 2,803 | 2,914 | 2,402 | 2,706 | 1,502 | 1,514 | 1,397 | 1,275 | 1,418 | 1,127 | 1,137 | 1,047 | 229 | 63 | 67 | 196 | 181 | 34,259 |
2. Support for North Korean Defectors
| Category | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement benefits | Basic settlement benefits | KRW 8 million for a single-person household |
| Financial incentives | A maximum of KRW 25.1 million for those who receive vocational training, obtain a certificate of qualification, or get a job | |
| Additional benefits | A maximum of KRW 15.4 million for seniors aged 60 years or older, the mentally or physically challenged, people in long-term medical treatment, children of single parents, and children born in third countries | |
| Housing | Housing arrangement | Arranging rental apartments |
| Housing subsidies | KRW 16 million for a single-person household | |
| Employment | Vocational training | A training allowance (Ministry of Employment and Labor) |
| Employment subsidies (paid to employers) | Half of pay (up to half a million won) per worker for a maximum of four years Those who entered South Korea before November 29, 2014 | |
| Employment support workers | Offering career counseling and job placement at 65 employment centers nationwide | |
| Others | Employment protection (preferential purchasing), settlement support for those aspiring to be farmers, and special employment | |
| Social welfare | Livelihood benefits | Those who receive Basic Livelihood Security Program (BLSP) benefits |
| Medical care | Free healthcare for those who receive Tier 1 Medical Benefits of the BLSP | |
| Pension exception | Allowing subscription by exception to the national pension plan for those aged between 50 and 59 at the time of making decisions on protection | |
| Education | Special admission and transfer to schools | Offering special admission for those who want to go to college |
| Support for tuition | Exemption from tuition for those enrolled in middle school, high school, a national or public university and subsidizing 50% of tuition for study at a private university | |
| Settlement assistants | - | Designating one or two settlement assistants for each household in the initial period of settlement Support workers |
| Support workers | - | Support workers system: community services (244 persons at local governments), employment counseling (65 persons at employment centers), and personal protection (900 persons at police stations) |