The regime in Pyongyang has built walls and fences along most of the border with China and Russia to stem the flow of defectors and trade. "The traditional route to escape the country has been closed," says a priest who helps defectors.
Only 67 people managed to defect from North Korean territory in 2022, up from 1,047 in 2019. Experts believe that China's stricter adherence to the procedure for returning defectors also contributed to the decline in the number of people leaving North Korea. The border area is used by North Korea's extensive smuggling industry, which in turn feeds the country's largest black market.