So far this year, 88 North Koreans have made it to South Korea. The easiest route is via China, because the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea is the most heavily guarded frontier in the world. But the increasingly desperate economic and political conditions in the North energize more northerners to risk their lives and flee. Last year, 583 northerners made it to the south, compared to 312 in 2000.