The government announced that the number of defections by high-ranking North Korean officials dispatched overseas are on the rise.

The Unification Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that, while it cannot disclose the details of the high-ranking defectors due to safety concerns, authorities are continuously monitoring their rising trend.

The briefing added that the occupations of the high-ranking defectors vary, ranging from diplomats, doctors to international students.

According to the ministry, the number of North Korean defectors classified by the National Intelligence Service(NIS) as being under 'exclusive protection' from July 1997 to the first half of this year stands at 188.

Defectors under such 'exclusive protection' include diplomats, military personnel, covert operatives, or high-ranking government officials and are defined by the NIS as those "who are likely to have a significant impact on national security".