For additional context on the numbers of refugees defecting from North Korea to China and other countries, the BBC released an update on some of the statistics from the world's most closed-off country--indicating a slight decline in numbers.

In 2017 alone, (January to August) there have been 780 North Koreans who escaped to South Korea according to their Unification Ministry.

"Out of those who escaped this year, 56.9% were workers and farmers while only 3.5% were soldiers and government agents, a report by South Korea's Unification Ministry said, according to state news agency Yonhap."