Seoul City to Hold 'Donghaeng Culture' Event Ahead of 'Day of North Korean Defectors'

First Local Government-led 'North Korean Human Rights Seoul Forum' with Domestic and International Experts
North Korean MZ 'Jangmadang Generation' and Others to Participate in Inter-Korean Youth Talk Concert
"Supporting North Korean Defectors to Enjoy Daily Life as Comfortable Neighbors"

Various companion culture events will be held throughout Seoul to help North Korean defectors live with a sense of belonging and solidarity as Seoul citizens.

On the 7th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that from the 8th to the 14th, ahead of the upcoming 'North Korean Defectors Day' on the 14th, it will hold various events such as a North Korean human rights forum and exhibitions at Seoul City Hall, Seoul Plaza, and other locations under the theme "Beyond Freedom to Hope, Together with Us."

First, on the 11th at 2 p.m., the '2024 North Korean Human Rights Seoul Forum' will be held at the multipurpose hall of Seoul City Hall to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the publication of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in North Korea report and the establishment of North Korean Defectors Day. This event, attended by Ban Ki-moon, the 8th UN Secretary-General, as well as domestic and international North Korean human rights experts, is the first North Korean human rights forum hosted by a local government.

The forum will proceed in two sessions: ▲(Session 1) The Reality of North Korean Human Rights and International Cooperation Measures ▲(Session 2) The Journey Toward Freedom, Accompanying North Korean Defectors. It will explore the future direction of North Korean human rights and examine support for the settlement of North Korean defectors and ways to accompany them. Session 1 will be chaired by Lee Shin-hwa, Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights, and will include discussions by Julie Turner, U.S. Department of State Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights; Elizabeth Salm?n, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea; James Heenan, Head of the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul; and Brian Myers, Professor at Dongseo University. Session 2 will be chaired by Nam Sung-wook, Director of the Korea University Institute for Unification and Convergence Studies, and will feature Yoo Sung-ok, Chairman of the Institute for National Security Strategy; Kim Cheon-sik, President of the Korea Institute for National Unification; Yoon Yeo-sang, Director of the North Korean Human Rights Archive; and Kim Il-hyuk, a North Korean defector and young human rights activist and researcher at the North Korea Research Institute.

From the 8th to the 13th, the underground Citizen Hall at Seoul City Hall will host a North Korean human rights photo and video exhibition to raise awareness of the realities of North Korean residents and the values of human rights and freedom. On the 8th and 9th, the North Korean escape documentary "Beyond Utopia" will be screened, followed by a meeting with the cast. On the 12th and 13th, a "South-North MZ Generation Human Rights Talk Concert" will be held in collaboration with civic groups.

On the 12th, the multipurpose hall of the Seoul City Hall main building will host "Companion Hanmadang," a time for consolation and harmony for North Korean defector families. The event will share the achievements of Seoul's support projects for North Korean defectors' settlement and feature a humanities lecture titled "Mindfulness for a Happy Life" by Yang Jae-jin, Seoul's public relations ambassador. Additionally, the "Companion Sharing Volunteer Group," composed of North Korean defectors, will distribute side dishes and volunteer at elderly care facilities in vulnerable areas of Gwanak-gu and Jungnang-gu. In Yangcheon-gu, Gwangjin-gu, and other districts, cultural events commemorating the first North Korean Defectors Day will be held, including performances of North Korean sohaegeum (traditional string instrument) music, traditional dance, the musical "The Man Who Reads Eun-gyeong's Diary," and screenings of documentaries about the settlement process of North Korean defectors produced by the first North Korean defector film director.

Lee Dong-ryul, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Administration Bureau, said, "To commemorate the first 'North Korean Defectors Day,' we hope that various events where South and North citizens come together will help people feel the preciousness of freedom and human rights and spread a culture of understanding and consideration for each other. We will spare no support to help North Korean defectors live as our comfortable neighbors, accompanying us and enjoying happy daily lives."