Ministry officials attributed the sharp decrease to tighter security in North Korea and areas bordering China following the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in December 2011, and strengthened crackdown on North Korean defectors in China.
According to the ministry, a total of 1,508 North Korean defectors entered South Korea in 2012, compared with 2,706 tallied in 2011. Arrivals of North Korean defectors hit a record high of 2,929 in 2009.
It was the first time that the number dropped to below 2,000 since 2006, the ministry said.
A ministry official said arrivals of North Korean defectors in the South are not likely to increase in the near future as the number of defectors hiding in China or other third countries to come to South Korea is smaller than ever before.
The ministry said the aggregated number of North Korean defectors now residing in the South totals 24,613.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com