South Korea’s Ministry of Unification plans to merge its two resettlement centers for North Korean defectors next year as the number of arrivals continues to fall sharply, officials said Friday. A ministry official said the government has decided to move forward with integrating the main Hanawon resettlement center and its branch facility, with a final decision on the location — either Anseong in Gyeonggi Province or Hwacheon in Gangwon Province — expected soon. Unification ministry Deputy Spokesperson Chang Yoon-jeong said during a regular briefing that the move reflects a continued decline in the number of defectors entering South Korea. “We are reviewing integration measures and related personnel reassignments to ensure efficient operations,” she said. The plan was included in the ministry’s policy agenda for next year, which was reported to President Lee Jae Myung on Dec. 19. The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea has fallen sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic. Arrivals peaked at 2,914 in 2009 but dropped to 1,047 in 2019. After North Korea closed its bo