[Defectors Landing Unexpectedly]②Risking Their Lives to Escape 'Oppression', Only to Be Trapped by 'Discrimination'

Hard to endure ostracism even after finding a job
77.7% experience discrimination due to 'accent and cultural differences'
13.3% experience 'suicidal impulses'... twice that of the general public
"If social networks are cut off, North Korean defectors become more vulnerable"

Editor's NoteThere was a time when North Korean defectors were referred to as "the first to arrive for unification." This expression reflected the government's strong commitment to the mission that "the settlement of North Korean defectors is unification itself." However, defectors who escaped oppression and came to South Korea are still treated as "outsiders." Why did the desperate hopes, strong enough to risk their lives and leave their hometowns, collapse? This article examines the difficulties faced by defectors who landed unexpectedly in the South and seeks alternatives.

"The moment I start speaking, I can feel people's expressions change because of my accent."

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Recently, near Janghanpyeong Station in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, a North Korean defector in her 30s, Ms. Kim Hana (pseudonym), answered this way when asked, "What is the most difficult part of adapting to South Korean society?"

Ms. Kim, originally from Hamgyeong Province, came to South Korea alone several years ago via China. Leaving her parents and younger brother behind in the distant yet close North Korean land, she was determined to work hard and bring her family over. Despite hopping between part-time jobs, she never gave up studying, eagerly counting down the days until she could reunite with her family. She earned a nursing assistant certificate and found her first job at a small hospital. However, unable to endure ostracism, she left the hospital in less than six months.

North Korean Defectors Photo by Yonhap News

Later, through an introduction by fellow defectors, she took an office job at a factory. Since there were other defectors among the staff, she thought she would adapt well, but she had to endure sexual harassment from her supervisor. Ms. Kim revealed, "During company dinners, he would make me sit next to him and pour drinks, or make rude remarks like 'You couldn't even date freely in North Korea, right?'" She added, "I wanted to ask for help, but I was afraid everyone would see me as strange, so I couldn't even bring it up."

Currently, Ms. Kim works in inventory management at a logistics center in Gyeonggi Province to make a living. Her income is close to minimum wage, but this is the first job she has held for over a year. She said, "I tried to fix my accent by taking online speech classes and practicing with a pen in my mouth, but the way I've spoken for over 20 years doesn't change easily. The job I have now only requires scanning barcodes, so I don't have to talk much, which is relatively less uncomfortable."

"We are not people who just sit still and expect others to do things for us."

Mr. Lee Pyeong-hwa (pseudonym), a man in his 40s living in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, has been working as a day laborer at construction sites for four years. Having served as a soldier in a harsh border area, he expected to build a stable family after coming to South Korea. However, the "dream space" he risked his life to reach has completely turned its back on him. He lamented that it is even more painful to be treated as an outsider despite having the same appearance and language.

He said, "When I first went to the site through a labor market, the foreman called me a 'red' and a 'spy.' I thought I would be free and happy once I came to South Korea, but I only feel lonely." He added, "I am living day by day, but I am exhausted by this bottomless (no place to rely on) life. I have already left the hometown where I was born and raised, but if I have to leave here too, I don't know where to go."

Mr. Lee also said that whenever news about defectors appears in the media or broadcasts, his heart sinks. Whether the news is good or bad, the evaluations he hears around him are always negative. He said, "I recently saw news about (a skeletonized corpse). I don't want people to pity us. I just want to be seen as the same human beings."

[Image source=NamBuk Hana Foundation]

Defectors who escaped oppression and came to South Korea still suffer from "discrimination." It is pointed out that social isolation leads to reduced job-seeking and economic activities, which can further exacerbate "economic poverty" in a vicious cycle.

According to the 2021 Social Integration Survey of North Korean Defectors by the South-North Hana Foundation, among defectors who experienced discrimination or neglect, 77.7% cited differences in communication styles, including accents, as the reason. This was followed by 45.5% who said it was because South Koreans held negative perceptions of defectors, and 20.1% who attributed it to a lack of professional knowledge compared to South Koreans.

The problem is that this sense of isolation negatively affects not only settlement but also mental health. The proportion of defectors who reported having suicidal impulses was 13.3%, more than twice that of the general population (5.2%). Among women, this rate rises to 15.1%. The reasons for suicidal impulses were economic difficulties (26.8%), physical and mental illnesses (25.8%), and loneliness (16.4%), in that order.

Professor Jung Jae-hoon of the Department of Social Welfare at Seoul Women's University pointed out, "Korean society generally has a problem with low acceptance of different cultural backgrounds or groups. This acts as a fundamental obstacle to the settlement of defectors." He added, "When people feel socially isolated, they lose the will to seek jobs or engage in economic activities, which is similar to the phenomenon of 'hikikomori' (social withdrawal). If social networks are cut off, defectors without family or relatives become even more vulnerable."