Page 93 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

information. Harsh penalties such as forced labor, detention,
or even death are inflicted for consuming or disseminating
South Korean media or using its linguistic style. However,
the “Jangmadang” or “MZ” generation continually challenges
these constraints, indicating a creeping capitalist influence
and the regime’s apprehension of external threats.

The Plight of Escapees

The Surge and Decline of North Korean Escapees: In the mid-
1990s, North Korea experienced a significant increase in the
number of escapees, coinciding with the devastating famine
known as the Arduous March. Most of these escapees initially
fled to China, and subsequently, many sought refuge in South
Korea. Despite stringent border control and the threat of
severe punishment, around 3,000 escapees reached South
Korea annually by 2009. But this number dwindled after Kim
Jong-Un’s accession in 2012, primarily due to heightened
risks and costs associated with defection. The onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 further exacerbated this
decline, as strict border closures drastically reduced defection
numbers.

Risks and Human Rights Violations Faced by Escapees in China:
Escapees stranded in China face substantial risks, including
forced repatriation and trafficking. The pandemic-induced
border shutdown led to the detention of around 2,000 North
Koreans in border regions. Reports of over 600 escapees,
mainly women, being forcibly repatriated around the time
of the Hangzhou Asian Games in October 2003 have raised

92 Section II : Human Rights, Abductees, Forced Repatriation of Refugees and the Regional Implications