The number of North Koreans escaping to South Korea in a single calendar year has dropped to the lowest point since 2001, according to new figures through the end of 2019 released by the South’s Ministry of Unification (MOU).

This follows a downward trend over the last decade coinciding with current DPRK leader Kim Jong Un coming to power in late 2011.

And while women continue to makeup the majority of the North Korean escapees, 2019 also marked the first uptick in reported male defections since 2016.

In total, the MOU’s latest figures state that 1,047 North Koreans newly registered