Unification Bridge in Paju, northwest of Seoul. Yonhap

The number of North Korean defectors reaching South Korea dropped to 11 in the first quarter of this year, the unification ministry said Friday, amid prolonged border closures due to COVID-19.

During the same period last year, 31 North Koreans crossed into the South, according to the ministry data.

The number of incoming defectors has significantly decreased since the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020 due to restrictions on cross-border movements.

According to the ministry, 1,047 North Koreans sought refuge in the South in 2019, compared with 229 in 2020 and 63 last year. The figure stood at five in the April to June period last year, before increasing slightly to 12 and 15 in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. (Yonhap)