135 N. Korean defectors arrive in S. Korea during Q1

SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- A total of 135 North Korean defectors arrived in South Korea during the first quarter of this year, the unification ministry said Friday.

The figure marked a sharp drop from 229 North Korean defectors who resettled in the South during the same period a year earlier, according to the ministry. The total includes 39 males and 96 females.

Last year, 1,047 North Korean defectors came to South Korea, the lowest annual number in 18 years.

The annual number of North Korean defectors peaked in 2009 with 2,914. The figure has averaged around 1,000-1,500 since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took power in late 2011.

kokobj@yna.co.kr
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