Exactly. They will probably send all the citizens they want to get rid of knowing that they will likely die. It's a win-win for Rocket Man: he gets to eradicate any 'inferior' or 'disloyal' peons while ingratiating himself to Putin.
The main thing keeping people inside is that they cannot leave NK anymore. NK government did a complete border lockdown during the pandemic and they managed to sign a deal with China and Russia that every defector will be caught and brought back to NK. The only way out now is through the sea and that's a death sentence.