Ministry of Unification Holds Meeting on 'International Day of the Girl Child'
Actress No Jin-hae-yang from Film 'Beyond Utopia' Attends
Even in the bitter cold winter with the piercing wind of Mae Seoul, students had to clean the statue of Kim Il-sung. Even when their whole bodies were frozen solid, they could not even think of wearing padded jackets. They were forced to offer flowers and had to buy expensive ones with their own money. North Korea was a 'truly difficult country to live in.' This is the story of a teenage girl who left North Korea and came to South Korea in 2019.
On the 10th, a day before the 'International Day of the Girl Child,' No Jin-haeyang (16), who shared her experience of defecting from North Korea, attended a meeting hosted by the Ministry of Unification's Inter-Korean Relations Management Team, inviting female diplomats stationed in South Korea. [Photo by Ministry of Unification]
On the 10th, one day before the 'International Day of the Girl Child,' North Korean defector girl No Jin-hae (16) attended a meeting hosted by the Ministry of Unification's South-North Relations Management Division, inviting female diplomats stationed in South Korea, where she recalled her memories of North Korea. Jin-hae said, "I do makeup here in South Korea, but my friends in North Korea can't even wash properly, let alone do makeup," adding, "Some friends smell because they can't wash, but we had to live understanding each other."
Jin-hae's father worked as an electrician, and her mother earned money at the Jangmadang (market). Thanks to that, her situation was better than other friends. Nevertheless, 'taking a shower' was almost a luxury, as the whole family had to share water brought from outside to wash.
The girl said, "After school, some friends went to the mountains to pick grass or to sell that grass," and added, "When I visited those friends' homes, it was so hard that you could tell they were struggling just by looking. Knowing that it wasn't something that could be solved by effort made my heart hurt even more."
The Ministry of Unification held a meeting with female diplomats stationed in South Korea at the Inter-Korean Relations Management Division on the 10th, a day before the "International Day of the Girl Child." [Photo by Ministry of Unification]
Since coming to South Korea, Jin-hae said she is happy to be able to shower and do makeup freely, and to wear clothes with ease, which is a typical teenage girl’s attitude.
However, when talking about the difficulties of living as a North Korean defector in South Korea, tears welled up in her eyes. One day, after sharing the life-threatening escape process with a friend, that friend threatened to spread rumors. When telling this story, Jin-hae struggled to hold back her tears and paused briefly.
Jin-hae escaped North Korea together with her mother, Woo Young-bok (54). The documentary film 'Beyond Utopia,' which covers their journey crossing China, Vietnam, Laos, and other countries until arriving in South Korea, was released last year.
The Ministry of Unification organized this meeting to support the future of North Korean defector girls settled in Korean society and to raise awareness of the poor human rights conditions of women and girls remaining in North Korea. Female diplomats from the embassies of Guatemala, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the European Union (EU), and Colombia attended the meeting. Vice Minister Kim Soo-kyung emphasized, "We must protect the dreams of North Korean defector girls who came to South Korea seeking opportunities and dreams, overcoming discrimination, prejudice, and violence experienced in North Korea and during their escape."
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