The number of North Korean defectors arriving in South Korea came to 105 in the first half of the year, a slight increase from last year. 

A unification ministry official told reporters on Tuesday that two men and 60 women arrived in the South in the second quarter, bringing the total of North Korean defectors to 105 for the first six months of the year including 43 for the first quarter. 

In the first half of 2023, a total of 99 North Korean defectors entered the South.

The official noted that this year's figures are similar to those of last year, but added that further monitoring is needed to estimate the figure for the whole year as quarterly numbers may vary due to numerous factors.