Numerous North Korean defectors have also boated here to escape economic and political conditions in their homeland.
The exact nature of the operation, if it did indeed exist, is subject to disagreement — most accounts link it to investigations into the sale of Nauruan passports, the defection of North Korean scientists to the West, or both.
Another major area of interest has been the settlement of North Korean defectors in South Korea who are currently not receiving adequate vocational training.
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Demick interviewed more than 100 defectors and chose to focus on Chongjin because it is likely to be more representative than the capital Pyongyang.