The government will step up support for North Korean defectors, including stronger protection and improved measures to prevent solitary deaths.

The unification ministry convened a meeting on Thursday to approve an action plan to be implemented this year containing 51 tasks in six fields.

An inter-agency network will be established to share information with the welfare ministry in a bid to prevent defectors from leading solitary lives, with an emphasis on averting deaths due to a lack of social stimulation.

An inter-agency team launched earlier this month will bring together relevant agencies, including the police and local governments, to provide responsive, one-stop support to North Koreans struggling with socioeconomic and psychological challenges following their resettlement in South Korea.

To expand this support, the unification ministry is pushing to double the budget for next year to over 550 million won.

It will also improve counseling services, introduce programs on mental well-being and step up safety and human rights protection.

The living conditions of North Korean defectors recently came under the spotlight after a man breached the border and returned to the North last month.