[AP] 4 suspected North Korean defectors found in a small boat in South Korean waters

LINK: https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-boat-defection-904a8ea07d9cead6f467ffb28e78c46f

Defecting by sea is much more dangerous and many North Korean escapees were believed to have ended up dying after their boats sank amid bad weather.

But some still opt to use a sea route because they can defect in a group and it takes much shorter time than the China-Southeast Asian route, which typically takes weeks or months before coming to South Korea, according to Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea.

Ahn, who has interviewed many defectors, said that North Koreans typically slip across their country’s border with China alone or in pairs without sharing their escape plans with anyone, including their family members, because of fears about arrests. Ahn said the four North Koreans found Tuesday are likely from one family, who left a coastal town relatively close to the South Korea sea border the previous day.

If they are determined to be genuine defectors, it would be the second case of North Koreans fleeing to the South by sea this year. In May, nine defected by sea off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry.