Actually this is somewhat true.

People who escape North Korea have zero prospects here in the ROK where I currently live. It's the most competitive economy and job market you can imagine.

Defectors have no professional certifications, no college degree, and no plastic surgery (pervasive in ROK where a photo is required to add to your CV).

Moreover, ROK people are highly judgmental toward anybody different. North Koreans "talk funny" so they are immediately outcast.

(Recently, to address the situation, the ROK government has started a program to get NK refugees jobs as bus drivers)

The best way for these refugees to make money is to tell their stories. And the more sensational, the better. They get speaking gigs, book deals, and small fame with their faces on TV.

Here's a news story addressing its directly: Why do North Korean defector testimonies so often fall apart? | North Korea | The Guardian https://share.google/fqpw81A1uZwXk0lR7

TL;DR NK refugees are "paid actors" in a sense