Twelve North Korean defectors have arrived in the United States this week, and have been transferred to an undisclosed location.
The group arrived in the United States on Wednesday. A State Department official, who wished to remain anonymous, told the VOA Korean Service that a total of 30 North Korean defectors have recently sought asylum in the United States.
U.S. special envoy for human rights in North Korea Jay Lefkowitz told a House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee Thursday that many more North Koreans will be coming to the United States in the coming months.
According to a report from the Associated Press, South Korean activist Chun Ki-won says 80 more North Korean refugees are hiding in various Asian countries and preparing to seek asylum in America.