More than 24,000 refugees have entered the South from the North since the country 's division , according to the Ministry of Unification in Seoul , over two-thirds of them women . South Korean soldiers hear gunfire before the defector crosses . Hide Caption Defections over land via the heavily armed DMZ are rare . The number of refugees fleeing per year has climbed dramatically over the years .
South Korean soldiers hear gunfire before the defector crosses . Hide Caption Defections over land via the heavily armed DMZ are rare . The number of refugees fleeing per year has climbed dramatically over the years .