Seoul says nearly 200 North Koreans defected to the South in 2023, almost tripling from the previous year. It also says younger people made up over 50 percent of the total while the number of elite escapees also grew.

The Unification Ministry says 196 North Korean defectors arrived in the South last year. There were 63 in 2021 and 67 in 2022.

The ministry partly attributes the rise to the easing of coronavirus movement curbs as most of the defectors reached South Korea after spending an extended period in transit countries, such as China.

More than half, or 99, of the defectors were in their 20s or 30s.

Ministry officials say these younger North Koreans have been enduring government controls while receiving few benefits from the regime, with the rationing system long gone.

The officials add that such North Koreans have "different levels" of trust in the regime compared with older generations.

The ministry also says the defectors included about 10 elite individuals, the most since 2017.

South Korean media say the elite in the North include diplomats and nationals based overseas. They suggested that as countries began loosening their coronavirus border restrictions, elite North Koreans who were recalled to their home country may have grown concerned about their future and decided to defect to South Korea.