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Secret remittance networks keep North Korean families alive
North Korean defectors in South Korea have long relied on clandestine networks to send money back home, helping their families survive in one of the world’s most isolated nations. For many, these remittances provide essential food and basic security, but recent crackdowns and legal restrictions have disrupted decades-old routes.
Park Seung-hwan, a defector who fled North Korea in 2012, describes using brokers to transfer funds through China to his family. “Sending money was the simplest way for me to feel connected,” he says, explaining that without these funds, his brother could be drafted to fight in Russia due to an inability to pay bribes for exemptions.
The networks rely on multiple intermediaries and communication via Chinese phones near the border. Despite high risks, they enabled families to receive food and support for years. A survey of defectors found that 40% had sent money home in the past five years, although only around 60% reached families after fees and bribes.
South Korea’s authorities began investigating these networks in 2023. While initially framed as national security inquiries, prosecutions under foreign exchange laws have targeted at least 10 people, with ongoing court cases continuing to limit the network’s operations.
The crackdown has left many defectors unable to send money for years. Scams have also grown, as trusted brokers disappear and networks collapse. Advocates argue that legalizing small-scale humanitarian remittances could provide a safer, sustainable channel.
For Park and others, the stakes are deeply personal. “Sending money is my way of easing the guilt while still taking care of them, even from afar,” he says, underlining the human dimension behind these secretive financial lifelines.