From the BBC:
“North
Korean defectors: What happens when they get to the South?”
For Kim
Ji-young, arriving in South Korea at the age of 31 after an arduous escape from
the North "was like a dream". But her joy at arriving in the
prosperous South in March 2013 alongside her mother and three cousins soon gave
way to a difficult adjustment period. Every day brought new challenges
and the family knew no-one. "There were many cultural differences... we
had to start all over again," she says. Ms Kim is one of thousands
of defectors who have managed to escape life in the isolated dictatorship. But
for those who've fled, their resettlement in the South is only the beginning.
Many have to learn the basics of life in a high-tech, democratic society -
from using a bank card to understanding how representative government works.
What happens
when they arrive? Initially, defectors go through a period of investigation
and a debrief with the intelligence service. "Then there's three
months at an institution called Hanawon, a resettlement education facility run
by the South Korean government," says Sokeel Park, South Korea country
director of Liberty in North Korea. "It's a three-month school
where they learn various things about South Korean society: how to use an ATM
machine and South Korea's modern transport infrastructure and how to get a job.
They learn various things about South Korean citizenship, democracy and
differences." There are also community centres that provide
resources for resettled refugees. They tend to focus on this period, helping
defectors get set up with mobile phones and a bank account as well as getting
acquainted with their local community. After Hanawon, defectors are
assigned a public rental home. Ms Kim was left with a box of food - ramen, rice,
oil and condiments - to last for the first few days: A counsellor or a
defector who has already settled helps clean the house and provides additional
support. "Then they have to live their own lives," she says.
Who looks
out for them? North Koreans who settle in South Korea are assigned a police
officer who keeps an eye on them. "You can think of it as being assigned a
local friendly bobby who checks in every now and then," says Mr Park. "Sometimes
they become friends . They're typically older officers, more of a father
figure. Their role is to check in - almost like a social service." The
officers sometimes work in tandem with associations or churches.
South
Korea's support for defectors
12 weeks of
adaptation training
$6,000-$32,400 settlement
benefits (depending on size of household)
$13,300-$19,100
Housing subsidy
Free education
in public schools and universities
In terms of
mental health support, Mr Park says that there are some counselling services
available but it's an area which requires improvement. The issue was put in the
spotlight in 2019 when defector Han Sung-ok and her son were found dead in an
apartment in Seoul. They are believed to have starved to death. Neighbours
described her as as distracted and anxious. Many defectors will have suffered
extreme trauma but are unlikely to seek help or know where to find it.
According to a survey of North Korean refugees in South Korea, about 15% admit
to having suicidal thoughts - 10% higher than the South Korean average. "Mental
health requires social change and awareness so that people can identify these
things and seek help and think that it's okay to seek help," he said. Fyodor
Tertitsky, a North Korea analyst, says that life in South Korea can be
isolating for defectors, and not just because they've entered a completely
different society. They are seen by many as "others". "You can't
go home because you are considered a traitor and you are cut off from your
family or friends and surroundings," says Mr Tertitsky. "It's a
traumatising experience especially if you [were] forced to flee."
What are
their career options?
Arriving in the South and finding work can
be difficult. "Education in North Korea and South Korea are totally
different and there are few jobs that North Koreans can do in South
Korea," Ms Kim says. "It's hard because defectors have never
heard of part-time jobs and have never found a job on their own before. They
are often ignored in interviews." When women are young, she says,
they usually serve food in restaurants and as they become older, transition to
work as kitchen assistants. Men usually have jobs packing online shopping
orders or in the construction industry. North Korean defectors are given
incentives to work and stick at a job and gain skills. South Korean businesses
are also given incentives to employ defectors. For those who want to
further their education, there are subsidies. Defectors don't have to pay for
undergraduate university degrees and those under 35 can also go to graduate
school for free. There are also various scholarships available.
(Kim Seong-min studied at various universities and now runs Free North Korea Radio)
Defectors also
get benefits that they can spend on things such as learning how to use a
computer. Kim Seong-min, a defector who left North Korea in 1996, is
appreciative of the educational opportunities that were available. He first
worked as a cleaner and janitor for an uncle, but went on to get a graduate
degree in creative writing. That opened doors at the public broadcaster, KBS,
where he became a scriptwriter for dramas. In 2004, he established Free
North Korea Radio, a station mostly run by defectors that broadcasts into North
Korea and carries criticisms of the government and leadership.
How do
defector children get on?
They either
attend local South Korean schools or schools that specifically cater for North
Korean children. At the latter schools, pupils "are surrounded by children
from a singular background", says Mr Tertitsky. "It's not the best
place because you are getting a limited education, you're not exposed to South
Korean society. "In another sense, if you go to a South Korean school,
kids can be cruel. They can look down on you and it's not easy to catch up with
them. It's not the most pleasant place." In general, says Mr Kim, North
Korean students at middle schools, high schools and colleges fall behind in
their studies compared to their South Korean peers, and sometimes drop out due
to the challenges they face.
^ Escaping
Communism is deadly and difficult It’s nice to see South Korea giving so much
help and support to those who manage to flee from North Korea. ^
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