Officially, about 30 North Koreans are known to have returned after settling in the South, according to South Korean intelligence. Researchers and advocates estimate that the real number is likely much higher, possibly in the hundreds. Some of those who return become propaganda tools for the North Korean state, appearing in videos or news conferences making tearful statements about how much they regretted leaving. A handful change their minds yet again, escaping once more…

Nearly 1 in 5 North Korean refugees in South Korea said they have thought about going back, according to a 2021 survey by the nonprofit Database Center for North Korean Human Rights. The reason most often given is missing one’s hometown or family. Some said they experienced discrimination in South Korea or found the capitalist society too competitive, according to the survey.

Joo Seong-ha, who left North Korea in 2002 and works as a prominent journalist at a South Korean newspaper, said he still finds himself thinking of home.