Chungnam, 'Community Cooperation' for the Stable Living of North Korean Defectors

[Asia Economy (Naepo) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province is joining hands with local private organizations to support the livelihood stabilization of North Korean defectors.

On the 1st, the province announced that it signed a business agreement for ‘Chungnam North Korean Defectors Settlement Support’ with three private organizations: Rotary International District 3620, Samsung Electronics B2B Division InnoMC, and Chungnam Hana Center.

The agreement was made with the main purpose of each institution cooperating to help North Korean defectors settle and live stably in the local community.

First, the province will take the overall role of coordinating and supporting the agreement matters among the participating institutions. In addition, Rotary International District 3620 will sponsor 550,000 KRW per household monthly for North Korean defectors in the early stages of relocation and support mutual exchanges by region, cultural explorations, and scholarship awards for academic improvement of North Korean defector children through partnerships between members of 100 Rotary clubs and North Korean defectors.

Furthermore, Samsung Electronics B2B Division InnoMC will provide services such as discounts on essential home appliances, quality assurance, and responsible delivery to recipients, while Chungnam Hana Center will be responsible for administrative tasks related to the business agreement overall, helping facilitate mutual communication and integration between North Korean defectors and private institutions and organizations.

Yang Seung-jo, Governor of Chungnam Province, said, “The agreement was made with the purpose of helping the economic livelihood stabilization of North Korean defectors residing in the region through cooperation between private organizations and related institutions beyond temporary support. I hope this will provide an opportunity for North Korean defectors to settle stably in the region and become members of the local community.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.