On Tuesday, the Ministry of Unification announced that both legal and humanitarian considerations must be taken into account regarding North Korean defectors hiring brokers to send money to support their families remaining in North Korea.
A Ministry official, meeting with reporters, explained the recent court decision that acquitted defectors of charges related to remittances to North Korea. The official stated that the funds sent by defectors to their families in the North are primarily for living expenses. At present, there are no specific laws regulating this practice, which is why some individuals have been prosecuted under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act.
On November 28, the Seoul Northern District Court acquitted a North Korean defector in her 50s who had been charged with violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act for assisting other defectors in sending money to their families in North Korea.
Historically, many North Korean defectors have employed brokers to transfer small sums of money to support their families left behind or to facilitate additional defections. However, in 2023, during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration, the police intensified their investigations into these matters, sparking considerable debate.