[citation needed] Additionally, as of the end of 2020, the total population of Korean Chinese in China was 1,702,479, comprising 872,372 females and 831,107 males.
After the armistice, North Korea's primary challenge in economic reconstruction was a labor shortage.
The massive illegal migration of Korean Chinese to North Korea peaked in 1961 and 1962, with almost 100,000 "defectors from China" in less than two years.
Throughout this migration, the Chinese government always respected North Korea's opinions and considered its stance.
Due to differences in regime and other factors, interactions between the Korean ethnic group and South Korea were suspended for a long time.