 Voluntary repatriation of Korean residents from Japan to North Korea progressed slowly but smoothly after the conclusion of the Red Cross agreement of 1959.By late 1960, almost 50,000 of the estimated 600,000 Korean residents had arrived in North Korea aboard chartered Soviet ships.The repatriation program was extended for another year in October 1960 to accommodate the estimated 60,000 still wishing repatriation.