Whereabouts of NK defectors 'unknown'

North Korea built new statues of Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un in Hyesan, North Korea, Friday. / Yonhap

The whereabouts of almost 700 North Korean defectors in South Korea is unknown, raising Calls for the government to improve its settlement support system for them, according to Yonhap news Agency.

South Korea’s Ministry of Unification said Sunday it had failed to locate 688 North Koreans -- 2.6 percent of almost 26,000 defectors, with 664 presumed to be overseas.

The ministry also said 22 defectors had sought to resettle in another country this year, up from 15 last year.

Twenty-two defectors are imprisoned and 14 have died or returned to the North.

Rep. Won Hye-young of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), party said South Korea “needs to provide customized support and social integration programs for North Korean defectors who crossed the border for freedom and abundance.”