According to the BBC:
There has been a significant decrease in the number of refugees from North Korea to South Korea in 2012 compared with 2011, data from South Korea shows.
Just over [1,508] North Koreans arrived in the South in 2012 compared to more than 2,700 the previous year, according to the South’s Unification Ministry.
Activists say that the North, under Kim Jong-un, is taking stronger measures to prevent people from trying to leave.
…
The figure for 2012 is the first time that numbers have fallen below 2,000 since 2006, says Yonhap news agency.
…
There are about 24,613 North Koreans who have arrived in South Korea since 1998, according to the Unification Ministry.
Additional Information
Andrei Lankov offers additional numbers and context here.
RFA reports that border guard rotations have been increased.
Read the full story here:
Drop in North Korean refugees to South Korea
BBC
2013-1-2
