Immigration to North Korea
Immigration to North Korea means people moving into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The country is very secretive and controls movement tightly. Foreigners rarely immigrate permanently. When they do, they usually come for specific jobs (diplomats, foreign workers, or humanitarian staff) and must get approval in advance. Tourism is restricted for some nationalities, such as Americans.
Most North Koreans who leave do so as defectors or refugees, often heading to South Korea or China. Some defectors later return to North Korea, a pattern that has been called double defection. Exact numbers are unclear and disputed. There have been reports that North Korea tries to lure defectors back with offers of money, housing, or other incentives, sometimes along with public appearances on state media. There have also been controversial cases of defectors returning and facing difficulties.
South Korea and other countries sometimes deport or repatriate defectors, and some defectors move through third countries on their way back to the North. The overall stories and numbers of defections are complex and often hard to verify.
The North Korean population includes Koreans and foreigners. Japanese in North Korea are mostly people who came as spouses with Korean families during past repatriation campaigns. Chinese residents are mainly descendants of older migrants dating back to the 19th century, with a few newer migrants for business.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 00:21 (CET).