By Ko Dong-hwan

Rising defector numbers have forced the North Korean government to tell its high-ranking officials in a northern city that escape is a bad idea.

The state used to give similar lectures to civilians but rarely did government party officials get a talking to.

The latest lecture told participants that brokers who help defectors are "stealing" fees from their settlement funds, according to online news site NoCut News that quoted a Japanese media outlet. Participants were also told that the Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees, also known as "Hanawon," provides "useless" information.

Defectors cannot live in South Korea unless they keep paying taxes and those without money will not get medical treatment and eventually die, the lecture reportedly went on.

It emphasized that defectors who return will be "graciously forgiven" by the Kim Jong-un regime and those that have are now living "happily."

"The state took it as an omen that some of the defectors are laborers working overseas and even former government party members with high social status," NoCut news said.