SEOUL: South Korea will award up to one billion won (US$860,000) to defectors from the North with classified information about the reclusive state, reports said Sunday.
The government currently offers up to $217,000 to defectors from the North with sensitive information but this would be the first increase in reward money in two decades.
The rewards would go to “people who provide intelligence and knowledge that can enhance South Korea’s security,” Yonhap news agency reported.
The sums paid would be determined on the basis of the importance of the intelligence, Yonhap said.
The cash incentive is aimed at encouraging more members of the North’s elite to flee to the South, it added.
“One of the biggest reasons why North Koreans are hesitant about defecting is because they are fearful of [how they will make a living] after they come to
South Korea,” Yonhap cited a ministry official as saying. Agencies
