According to new reports from defectors, satellite imagery analysts, and South Korean intelligence sources, the number of border shootings has surged over the past two years—particularly along the Tumen River, which separates North Korea from China. In many cases, the victims are North Korean citizens attempting to escape or smugglers crossing with food, medicine, or outside information.
“The regime has issued shoot-to-kill orders for anyone attempting unauthorized crossings,” said a South Korean government official familiar with the matter. “The goal is simple: to instill fear and prevent defections at all costs.”
Historically, the North Korea-China border has served as a critical escape route for defectors and a lifeline for black-market trade. But since the outbreak of COVID-19, Pyongyang has drastically tightened security, erecting new fencing, increasing patrols, and deploying elite military units tasked with enforcing a zero-tolerance policy.
One recent defector recounted witnessing the killing of a teenage boy who attempted to cross into China with his mother. “They shot him in the back. His mother screamed and begged, but they dragged her away,” she told a South Korean NGO.
Satellite photos provided by international monitoring groups show expanded guard posts, fortified walls, and more frequent military movement along known crossing areas. The UN’s Special Rapporteur on North Korean human rights, Elizabeth Salmón, has condemned the practice as a violation of international law.
“Using lethal force against unarmed civilians, including children and women, constitutes a grave human rights abuse,” Salmón said in a statement. “This is state-sanctioned violence targeting the most vulnerable.”
China, which has increased cooperation with North Korea on border enforcement, has not commented publicly on the rise in shootings but continues to repatriate defectors despite criticism from international watchdogs.
The North Korean government has not acknowledged any border-related killings, but state media has repeatedly warned citizens that defection is an “act of betrayal” punishable by death.
Experts believe the increased brutality reflects growing paranoia within the regime over information leaks, smuggling, and the spread of outside influence.
“Kim Jong-un’s government is trying to seal the country off from the world completely,” said Cho Jung-hun, a North Korea analyst based in Seoul. “The border has become both a literal and symbolic line between total control and possible escape.”
Human rights organizations are calling for international accountability and greater protection for defectors, especially those at risk of being forcibly returned to North Korea.
As long as the crackdown continues, escapees say they face an impossible choice: stay and starve, or flee and risk being shot.