South Korean government to cut budget for defector resettlement this year: MOU | NK News
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October 06, 2026Oct 06, 2026

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South Korean government to cut budget for defector resettlement this year: MOU

Move linked to declining numbers of escapees making it to the South, unification ministry insists

South Korea will cut this year’s budget for North Korean defector resettlement in the South, Seoul’s unification ministry confirmed on Friday.

An official from the Ministry of Unification (MOU) confirmed to NK News that more than 25% of the budget initially designated for “North Korean defector resettlement fund” will be cut, along with the funds set for “educating and training defectors.”

Around 10 billion Korean won ($8.3 million) will be cut from the resettlement budget, originally set at 39.3 billion won, the MOU official — who declined to be named — added, confirming figures first reported by local outlet News