Seoul: The unification ministry announced plans to integrate the main center and branch of Hanawon, the state facility supporting North Korean defectors' resettlement, amid a significant decline in the number of defectors arriving in South Korea in recent years.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the headquarters of Hanawon, located in Anseong, serves female North Korean defectors, while its branch in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, assists male defectors. Chang Yoon-jeong, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, stated during a press briefing that the government is exploring ways to merge these two facilities. The aim is to redeploy personnel for more efficient operations and implement the integration as swiftly as possible.

This decision follows the sharp decrease in the number of North Koreans entering South Korea after the North closed its borders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of defectors reached a peak of 2,914 in 2009 but fell to 1,047 by 2019. In 2020, the numbers plummeted to 229 as Pyongyang sealed its borders to prevent the spread of the virus. The figure has not significantly recovered, with only 236 defectors recorded last year.

The integration plan was presented to President Lee Jae Myung during a briefing on the ministry's policy plan for 2026.