Iron Curtain 2.0: How North Korea has embraced Soviet-style border security



Columns Iron Curtain 2.0: How North Korea has embraced Soviet-style border security Kim Jong Un appears determined to stop cross-border movement, and history suggests the DPRK is capable of doing so Andrei Lankov August 23, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON North Korean man in a field seen through barbed wire in the Demilitarized Zone, North Hwanghae Province, Panmunjom, North Korea \| Image: Eric Lafforgue (Sept. 2011) One of the most striking changes around North Korea during the pandemic has been the dramatic decrease in the number of escapees arriving in the South. This number had already dropped from a peak of nearly 3,000 per year to around 1,100 in 2019, but this number nose-dived to a record low of just 63 in 2021. Many perceive this dramatic decline as a transitional phase, expecting the number of defectors to bounce back once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. But both recent developments and historical precedent provide abundant reasons to question this assumption. One of the most striking changes around North Korea during the pandemic has been the dramatic decrease in the number of escapees arriving in the South. This number had already dropped from a peak of nearly 3,000 per year to around 1,100 in 2019, but this number nose-dived to a record low of just 63 in 2021. Many perceive this dramatic decline as a transitional phase, expecting the number of defectors to bounce back once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. But both recent developments and historical precedent provide abundant reasons to question this assumption. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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Iron Curtain 2.0: How North Korea has embraced Soviet-style border security

Kim Jong Un appears determined to stop cross-border movement, and history suggests the DPRK is capable of doing so

Andrei Lankov August 23, 2023

Iron Curtain 2.0: How North Korea has embraced Soviet-style border security

North Korean man in a field seen through barbed wire in the Demilitarized Zone, North Hwanghae Province, Panmunjom, North Korea | Image: Eric Lafforgue (Sept. 2011)

One of the most striking changes around North Korea during the pandemic has been the dramatic decrease in the number of escapees arriving in the South. This number had already dropped from a peak of nearly 3,000 per year to around 1,100 in 2019, but this number nose-dived to a record low of just 63 in 2021.

Many perceive this dramatic decline as a transitional phase, expecting the number of defectors to bounce back once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. But both recent developments and historical precedent provide abundant reasons to question this assumption.

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Iron Curtain 2.0: How North Korea has embraced Soviet-style border security

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