No North Korean defectors have entered the United States as refugees during the past five months.

Radio Free Asia, a private radio station funded by the U.S. government, quoted a State Department publication as saying on Saturday that not a single North Korean defector has entered the U.S. between October and February.

A U.S. human rights group official says that the lack of North Korean defectors to the U.S. could be due to the defectors preferring South Korea as a final destination. Compared to the U.S., South Korea requires a shorter waiting period for refugee approval and provides a larger variety of benefits to defectors.

The official added that enhanced security in the Stalinist state has also resulted in a decrease in the number of defectors.

A total of 93 North Korean defectors have entered the U.S. since 2006, which was when the U.S. first began granting them refugee status.