Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that (1) the number of people trying to leave North Korea over the border rivers of Yalu and Tumen has risen since the beginning of January, and (2) many would-be defectors have been shot and killed by border guards.
We are not aware of recent specific reports concerning North Koreans attempting to leave the country over the Yalu and Tumen rivers. We will continue to monitor the situation. We remain concerned about the humanitarian situation in North Korea, following a year of lockdown, and continue to call on North Korea to restore international access for humanitarian assistance.