Jihyun Park, who fled the North in 1998 and who last year became the first ever defector to run in UK local elections, said North Koreans experienced capitalism in black markets and were attracted to the South after learning about its democratic society through movies. 

But she said the risks of fleeing had risen since Kim Jong-un came to power a decade ago, adding pressure on escapees who feared severe punishment if caught and also repercussions for their families. Language differences between North and South also made the transition difficult, she said.

Michael Glendinning, CEO of Connect: North Korea, a London-based organisation that helps North Korean escapees said people who fled to the South faced very practical challenges like learning how to use the internet and ATMs, and needed wider support networks. 

“The lack of qualifications and job skills, lack of confidence, and mental health problems are all contributing factors to North Korean escapees becoming trapped in low-paid work with limited career opportunities,” he said.  

“This means many North Korean escapees leave a life of oppression only to find themselves achieving far below their potential in life and remaining trapped in a cycle of subsistence.”

Being treated as “second-class citizens in the workplace and social settings” and the guilt of leaving families behind were all contributing factors for those who decided to return home, he said. 

But despite the difficulties, return defections remain rare. 

Of about 34,000 North Koreans who have fled to South Korea for economic and political reasons since the late 1990s, and only about 30 have returned home in the past 10 years, according to South Korean government records.