Unification Ministry reviews changing South Korean term of North Korean defectors

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young delivers a congratulatory message at the opening ceremony of a unification promotion center in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi on Sept. 15. [YONHAP]

 
The Unification Ministry said Tuesday it is considering changing the South Korean term for North Korean defectors, noting the word highlights their escape from the North and carries a negative connotation.
 
The ministry stated that it has commissioned a study to review the renaming of the Korean term for North Korean defectors, or talbukmin in Korean, with the aim of selecting a new name by the end of this year, following the collection of opinions from such defectors.
 
 
The term bukhyangmin, which means people who hail from North Korea, is believed to be most favored among the North’s defectors.
 
“The ministry is considering changing the term of [North Korean defectors] in a bid to help them better resettle in the South and promote social integration,” a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
 
A survey by the Korea Institute for National Unification last year found that 59 percent of North Korean defectors favor a change in the Korean term used to refer to them.
 
The number of North Korean defectors arriving in South Korea reached 96 in the first half of 2025, bringing the total to 34,410, according to the ministry.

Yonhap