The number of North Koreans who visited
China through legal means has dipped this year.
Data on the number of foreigners who went
to China in the first half of this year indicate roughly 89,700 North Koreans
crossed into the country, according to figures from China’s National Tourist
Office cited by the Voice of America [VOA] on Wednesday.
This a 2.2 percent drop from the 91,800
visitors who were there during the same period last year, indicating the
numbers are heading toward a two-year decline, it reported.
The figures from this report are only
limited to those who visit through legal means and do not reflect illicit trips
or defectors who enter the country.
Roughly 52 percent of North Koreans
traveling to China reportedly went looking for jobs at restaurants or
factories. The number of job-seekers inched up by 3,300 on-year, according to
the VOA.
Men outweighed the number of women from the
North, making up roughly 85 percent at 76,500. Only 13,200 were female
visitors.
The total number of foreigners who went to
China in the first six months of the year was at roughly 12.3 million. The
greatest number of travelers came from South Korea at slightly over 2.1
million, while North Korea placed 20th on the list.
