[The Jangmadang Generation]④ Beard and Torn Jeans, Stirring North Korean Girls

Admiring Foreign Fashion, Yearning for the World Beyond North Korea
Leaving a Wealthy Family Behind to Pursue Dreams in Korea
Growing into an Artist and Fashion Brand CEO

Editor's NoteKim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, is continuously building walls, turning North Korea into his own fortress. However, a stronger crack has already begun from within. The youth generation who grew up during the collapse of the rationing system no longer believe that the 'Supreme Leader' will protect the people. These young people, who choose to live for 'themselves' rather than sacrifice for the Party, yearn for freedom instead of loyalty. We explore the potential for change that could shake the Kim family's dictatorship, which has been entrenched for over 70 years, focusing on the Jangmadang generation.

North Korean defector writer Dakyul (Kang Ji-hyun) is being interviewed by Asia Economy at her studio in Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

In the summer of 2003, Baekdu Mountain was chillingly cold before dawn, despite the season. A fourteen-year-old girl, following her father, climbed the mountain eagerly to watch the sunrise. When she reached the summit, she saw a 'strangely dressed' foreigner beyond her breath. A large figure with a bushy beard and torn jeans.

"They say Americans even eat people," she wondered, seeing the shabby appearance, "Could he be a beggar?" Mixing curiosity and fear, her father answered, "Maybe he’s wearing that as a fashion statement."

Fashionable because it was old and worn? It was the moment her worldview collapsed. This child, who longed for the outside world, became an artist named Dakyul (Kang Ji-hyun, 35), and the CEO of the fashion brand iStory.

"Torn jeans as fashion" ? The day a girl’s world shook

North Korean defector writer Dakyul (Kang Ji-hyun) is being interviewed by Asia Economy at her studio in Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Meeting Ji-hyun in a studio in Jung-gu, Seoul, she recalled that day on Baekdu Mountain as "still a shocking memory." "If clothes were worn out, you’d patch them up and wear them, but torn jeans were really only worn by beggars," she said. "They said Americans eat people, but that foreigner’s smile was very clear and bright."

Ji-hyun lived in Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province. Her father was a Workers' Party official, and her mother was a merchant. She was born into a life of power and privilege. She was adored everywhere she went, and people treated her with what seemed like excessive respect. But that did not quench her thirst for the 'closed' world she lived in.

Obsessed vaguely with 'clothes' and 'fashion,' the girl nurtured a dream of becoming a designer. Although North Korea had the profession of 'tailor,' her longing for a wider world kept growing. With her parents' support, she prepared to study in China, and her father even bribed officials for her sake. But she failed the Party interview.

While in despair, a close friend suggested going to China. Ji-hyun said, "He was a famous older brother who sold South Korean dramas imported into China," and recalled, "He invited me to visit relatives, and I followed without much thought. Looking back, I was really naive." Although she left without her parents’ knowledge, the path was smooth. The relative introduced by the brother was a 'Chinese missionary,' who helped Ji-hyun enroll in a university in Harbin.

She studied what she wanted and watched South Korean dramas diligently. Within a few months, she was given a chance to go to South Korea. A pastor introduced by the missionary helped her. Ji-hyun said, "At the time, I didn’t think that coming to South Korea meant I could never return to my family," adding, "Many people suffer harsh experiences trying to defect, so I was really lucky." In 2010, she suddenly arrived in South Korea.

A girl longing for the 'outside' world suddenly arrives in South Korea

(From left) The work "Kang Ji-hyun (2021)" capturing the shocking impression and inspiration from the clothing of foreigners seen in childhood at Baekdu Mountain. The work "Park Sung-jin (2021)" telling the story of Park Sung-jin, a defector and the only male sohaegeum player in Korea.
[Image source=Istory]

Objet Flower Military Uniform (2021). Inspired by the story of North Korean youth who must dedicate their blossoming youth to military service.
[Image source=Ministry of Unification]

Luck did not continue. Hardships came all at once like overdue homework. The girl who had lived unaware of the world beside her wealthy parents suddenly found herself alone in a new world.

Arriving in South Korean society without any preparation was harsh. Although the language was the same, communication was not easy because many words were hard to understand. Ji-hyun said, "At first, even conversations were difficult," adding, "There were so many abbreviations, Konglish, loanwords, and slang that I couldn’t understand what they meant."

She had to fight alone to survive in a place without family or friends. She couldn’t trust even those who offered help kindly. She confessed, "In North Korea, I was respected everywhere because of my parents’ influence, but here I had to do everything by myself from start to finish," and "I was so scared that I rejected all offers of help."

There were many temptations. Shadows approached, saying money could be earned easily. She envied friends who received expensive gifts from their 'boyfriends.' "I endured by remembering my father’s teaching that if you get something easily, you will surely pay a price," she said, "I thought I should build skills rather than find an easy way to live."

After relentless effort, she earned a degree in Clothing Studies from Hanyang University in 2016. In 2021, she launched a brand with clothes that embodied her works. The girl from Baekdu Mountain is preparing to step into a wider world. Starting this year, she is balancing her artistic activities and business while studying entrepreneurship at Korea University Graduate School.

"Not grand goals, just a person who lives diligently and modestly"

North Korean defector writer Dakyul (Kang Ji-hyun) is being interviewed by Asia Economy at her studio in Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Ji-hyun incorporates the stories of the people she has met into her works. The most eye-catching piece at her 2021 exhibition was an object called 'Flower Military Uniform.' It showed a military uniform trapped behind dense iron bars, with various colorful flowers blooming vividly on it. She even procured 'custom-made' uniforms worn by border guard officers.

She explained, "In North Korea, people go to the military at a young age and serve for about 10 years," adding, "They literally dedicate their youth." "If it were South Korea, they would be enjoying drinking and blind dates at that age, but it was heartbreaking to think they had to live trapped like in a prison during such a blossoming time."

Ji-hyun accepted her unusual background and the label of 'defector' as part of her identity. The color 'purple' often appears in her works. It is a mix of blue and red, which contrast South (南) and North (北), or male (男) and female (女). It expresses her hope that these divisions will no longer separate but harmonize.

Artist Dakyul. Her name, combining the characters for 'many' (多) and 'wave' (結), carries a modest dream. She wishes to carry many people's stories and hearts on the new wave of life in South Korea.

"I don’t want to talk about grand political goals or a mission for unification when I can’t even help those around me right now. My dream is to live modestly and ordinarily while doing my best in reality. If I work hard and develop skills in my field, maybe I can become someone who can help others, not just myself."

Series Order

① People at the center of change, the 'North Korean MZ generation'
② 'Fragile regime' ? At this rate, North and South Koreans will become different races
③ Former State Security official who dreamed of joining the South Korean military after defection
④ Beard and torn jeans, shaking a North Korean girl
⑤ Expert suggestions: The potential of the Jangmadang generation