South Korea is increasing the reward money it offers North Korean defectors for classified information, boosting the amount to some $860,000, the Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday.
The South Korean Ministry of Unification said it has submitted a bill that would give the increased rewards to those who provide intelligence that can enhance South Korea's security, adding that rewards would also be increased for defectors who bring with them military equipment.
Yonhap cited a ministry source who said the existing reward system is very inadequate and that, "One of the biggest reasons why North Koreans are hesitant about defecting is because they are fearful of making a living after they come to South Korea. The planned changes can alleviate such worries to a certain extent."
"Defecting from North Korea is not only dangerous, it's expensive, as many defectors rely on networks of human smugglers and brokers who demand large payments, NPR’s Eise Hu reported.
The decision to significantly boost the reward money for defectors comes amid the saga surrounding North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's half-brother, NPR noted. Malaysian officials who have been probing Kim Jong Nam's death last month at Kuala Lumpur's airport have been narowing their list of suspects in what they believe was an assassination.
Yonhap reported that the idea to boost the reward came from the statement of a North Korean defector who worked at an influential organization before escaping to the South. He said that significantly increasing the reward money can encourage those people in high positions to consider becoming defectors.
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