CHANGE: Amid Kim Jong Nam Furor, South Korea Hikes Reward For North Korean Defectors.

As NPR’s Elise Hu notes, the boost to reward pay is intended to alleviate the financial burdens of defection. “Defecting from North Korea is not only dangerous,” Elise tells our Newscast unit, “it’s expensive, as many defectors rely on networks of human smugglers and brokers who demand large payments.”

“One of the biggest reasons why North Koreans are hesitant about defecting is because they are fearful of making a living after they come to South Korea,” an official with South Korea’s Ministry of Unification explained, according to Yonhap. “The planned changes can alleviate such worries to a certain extent.”

And South Korea is interested in obtaining North Korean military equipment, too. The country is offering payouts to North Korean soldiers who turn in weapons such as armored vehicles and artillery.

The reward is rising “from roughly $217,000 up to $860,000,” which is a significant increase.