[Interview] Ko Young-hwan "North Korea Erasing Unification... Will Experience Extreme Chaos"

Director of Unification Education Center, Interpreter for Kim Il-sung's 1991 Defection
North Korea's Strict Isolation Policy... Spotlight on Jangmadang Generation
North Korea's Life at Stake Over Slip-ups... Grateful Whenever Feeling Freedom

"The most sacred value in North Korea is 'national reunification.' All hardships stem from the failure to achieve reunification. The greatest achievement of the Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il eras was 'fighting for national reunification.' For example, if someone at work asks to take some leave and is told, 'What leave when national reunification hasn't been achieved?' they cannot say a word. But now that Kim Jong-un suddenly says not to pursue reunification, wouldn't the residents be 'mentally shocked'?"

Ko Young-hwan, Director of the National Unification Education Institute, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the Unification Education Institute in Suyu-ri, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

These are the words of Ko Young-hwan, director of the National Unification Education Institute and a 'defector diplomat' aged 71. With excellent French skills, he even received a commendation directly from Chairman Kim Il-sung and held a special 'visitor' status at the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In May 1991, while serving as a counselor at the Congo Embassy, he defected to South Korea, becoming the 'number one' defector diplomat. He has lived in Seoul for 34 years now, having spent roughly half his life in the North and half in the South.

Recently, I met Director Ko at the Unification Education Institute located at the foot of the North Korean mountains. He served as deputy director for 26 years at the National Security Strategy Institute, a think tank affiliated with the National Intelligence Service. After serving as a special advisor to the Minister of Unification, he was appointed director of the Unification Education Institute last month.

Upon entering his office, a large map hanging on the wall caught my eye. It depicted not only the Korean Peninsula but also the three northeastern provinces and Primorsky Krai. He said he hung this map every morning to reinforce his will for 'unification,' envisioning Korea expanding into the continent.

Q&A with Director Ko on recent North Korean developments.

Ko Young-hwan, Director of the National Unification Education Institute, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the Unification Education Institute in Suyu-ri, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Chairman Kim Jong-un has begun 'erasing unification.' How do you assess this change in inter-Korean strategy?

It was the same during his father's time and in the era I lived through. The primary goal in North Korea is 'national reunification.' The logic is that 'all your current hardships are because national reunification has not been achieved.' Phrases like 'Someday, we will cool our feet at the Dadohae coast and wave the Republic flag atop Hallasan in Jeju Island' are deeply ingrained in people's minds. But now that Kim Jong-un is having everything related to 'unification' erased and even changing song lyrics, the residents must be experiencing considerable confusion. They will likely wonder why they have suffered so much and whether their lives and hardships have been in vain.

Following the dismantling of inter-Korean organizations, there are daily reports of building barriers along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The Ministry of National Defense calls them anti-tank barriers, but further analysis is needed. North Korea has already created huge obstacles behind the DMZ with massive boulders to prevent tanks from passing. So why would they build additional anti-tank ditches? There are also reports of reinforced barbed wire along the east and west coasts. It seems they are moving toward a thorough isolation policy, intending to live strictly within these confines.

Not only the DMZ but also the North Korea-China border is similar. They have installed barbed wire fences along the border and dug trenches. They place wooden boards studded with large nails to prevent people from crossing. This work has been ongoing for 2-3 years and is reportedly near completion.

In fact, this movement seems to have started around the 2019 'Hanoi No Deal.' At that time, Kim Yo-jong said, 'Let's live without interfering with each other like other countries.' Afterward, Kim Jong-un ordered the removal of 'filthy South Korean facilities,' leading to the current 'two-state theory.'

Is this simply a physical blockade against external contact and information inflow?

The so-called MZ generation in North Korea, known as the 'jangmadang generation,' greatly admires Korean Wave (Hallyu). This generation strongly believes that 'the Party and the leader have done nothing for us, so I owe nothing.' They also clearly think, 'I will not live like my parents did, enduring hardships.' Whether intentional or not, these changes stem from the influx of Hallyu. As these ideas spread and gain strength among residents, the leader (Kim Jong-un) must have thought that unless they completely block it, the regime would be at risk.

Portraits of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un are displayed side by side on the exterior wall of the Revolutionary History Museum within the Workers' Party Central Cadre School in the Geumsusan District of Pyongyang, North Korea.

Portraits of Marx and Lenin have been hung at the Workers' Party Central Cadre School. Since Kim Il-sung's 'Juche ideology' replaced the limitations of Marxism-Leninism, doesn't this negate the previous leaders? Can this ideological change also be seen as part of 'erasing unification'?

In the past, at Kim Il-sung Square, portraits of Marx and Lenin were hung on the Ministry of Foreign Trade building for a long time. Later, as Kim Il-sung's Juche ideology was promoted and idolized, they were taken down. Suddenly, Kim Jong-un has rehung their portraits. This action also seems to be an extension of 'erasing unification.' Erasing unification ultimately means denying the achievements of his grandfather and father.

It is essentially propaganda to promote himself as a better leader than his predecessors. The message is, 'In the past decade, I have built a nuclear power that my grandfather and father could not. So I should not be compared to my predecessors but rather to great thinkers like Marx and Lenin.'

Now portraits of the three generations are being displayed.

There is a difference even there. Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il look to the left, but Kim Jong-un's gaze is directed to the right. They must have taken and selected many photos for the portraits, but choosing one with the gaze in the exact opposite direction indicates Kim Jong-un's intention. The meaning behind the opposite gaze seems to be, 'I will not follow the path of my predecessors but walk my own path.'

Living half a life in the South and half in the North

Ko Young-hwan, Director of the National Unification Education Institute, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the Unification Education Institute in Suyu-ri, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

You have lived in South Korea for 34 years. Having spent similar amounts of time in both the North and South, how do you feel?

When I was in North Korea, I served as an interpreter for Kim Il-sung, so as a foreign language speaker, I reached the highest level. Kim Il-sung said, 'That person is very smart,' and 'He is a native but speaks foreign languages very well.' Once, a Party secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, 'No one can harm Mr. Ko now.' Yet, I was always troubled. It is not just about my own success; a single slip of the tongue by a family member could destroy the entire family.

One day, my older brother knocked on our door around 11 p.m., startling me. In North Korea, people never visit others after dark. Only the State Security Department knocks on doors late at night. Living every day in such fear, when I came to South Korea, I saw 'freedom.' Nowadays, even if a high-ranking person calls late at night, people often say, 'I didn't see it,' and don't answer. Even such small things feel like freedom.

Are there other anecdotes comparing freedom between the North and South?

Above all, freedom of speech. You can say what you think as it is, and even criticize the president or politicians without anyone caring. For example, once Kim Jong-il gave a tie as a gift to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official. At an event, Kim Jong-il saw the tie and said, 'Why is this tie so ugly?' The official accidentally replied, 'This tie was given by the General,' and immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He had contradicted the leader's words.

Fortunately, Kim Jong-il looked away and talked to someone else, so the official survived. This is North Korea. Even high-ranking officials at the Party Central Committee, who hold positions higher than our ministers, risk death over a single wrong word.

National Institute for Unification Education. Photo by Yongjun Cho jun21@

There have been continuous appointments of defectors to high-ranking positions, including members of the National Assembly. How do you feel about reaching a leadership position?

One day, someone came and said, 'You are a legend of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.' North Korean diplomats abroad often borrow others' phones to search. They look up Kim Jong-un, Ri Sol-ju, Kim Yo-jong, and also check how their seniors who came to South Korea first are living. They say, 'Ah, someone became a member of the National Assembly,' or 'Someone is a deputy director or a director somewhere.' In North Korea, even if they give a position to a defector, it is only for propaganda and show. But in South Korea, they genuinely have roles according to their abilities.

Our lives send a message to juniors and residents in North Korea that 'if something happens someday, I can also live well if I come to South Korea.' Although there is still a 'glass ceiling,' efforts like those of former lawmaker Tae Yong-ho breaking through it send a powerful message to compatriots. Conversely, if we make mistakes and leave a bad legacy, it will not only worsen perceptions of defectors in Korean society but also become obstacles for those who come after us. So when I meet fellow defectors, we greet each other saying, 'Let's live well' and 'Let's remain honorable until the end.'

Is there a message you want to convey to North Korean residents?

I hope both compatriots in North Korea and our people do not lose their yearning for 'unification.' We must continue to shine like a lighthouse toward residents in North Korea. It is a message of hope that 'one day, if unification happens, we too will live well like them.'

To residents in North Korea, you are not alone. There is a people who share the same blood, the same language, and culture for 5,000 years. We think of you and continue to strive for your human rights and freedom. I want to convey this message.

As director of the Unification Education Institute, I will work to positively change society's perception of 'unification.' One day, high school students came to the institute, spread out a map of the Korean Peninsula, and laughed while engaging in various activities. Even young students ask, 'Why should we unify?' but when discussing what we can gain from unification, they nod. We are making efforts in various ways so that the topic of unification does not feel heavy, like a 'talk show.' We will strive to bring unification education closer to the people instead of waiting passively.