The Crisis Signs of the 'Baekgol Corpse' Defector Were Also Known by the Ministry of Unification

Ministry of Unification Detected Crisis Signs Five Times Since May Last Year
Unable to Take Action Due to 'Lost Contact' Following Ministry of Health and Local Governments
"Focus Should Be on 'Settlement Difficulties' Rather Than Management Blind Spots"

Graphic of Solitary Death

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] It has been confirmed that the Ministry of Unification was also aware in advance of the warning signs of crisis concerning a North Korean defector who was recently found dead in a skeletal state. Although the Ministry of Health and Welfare detected the risk of solitary death, both the local government in charge and the Ministry of Unification failed to prevent it, citing "inability to make contact," raising urgent calls for improvements to the North Korean defector crisis management system.

According to Kim Sang-hee, a member of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the Ministry of Health and Welfare delivered crisis warning information last May to the Ministry of Unification regarding Ms. Kim, a woman in her 40s who was found dead in a rental apartment in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, on the 19th. Similar information was reported to the Ministry of Unification at least five times, including in July and September of the same year and twice in the first half of this year.

Ms. Kim entered South Korea in 2002 and worked as a professional counselor helping other North Korean defectors settle from 2011 to 2017 under the Nam-Buk Hana Foundation, affiliated with the Ministry of Unification. She was regarded as a successful case of defector settlement and appeared in the media several times. However, at the end of 2017, she quit her counseling job, saying she wanted to study English, and reportedly lost contact with acquaintances.

An official from the Ministry of Unification stated, "Regarding the North Korean defector found this time, the Ministry of Health and Welfare notified the Ministry of Unification that there were crisis signs and that the local government was investigating." He added, "Following criticism during the National Assembly audit about administrative inefficiency, the Ministry of Unification now only confirms safety for defectors excluded from local government investigations."

Originally, the Ministry of Unification conducted investigations on defectors twice a year, while the Ministry of Health and Welfare conducted crisis household surveys six times a year for the entire population. This was criticized in the National Assembly as "administrative inefficiency." Accordingly, the Ministry of Unification established a dedicated Safety Support Team in February this year and has been confirming the safety of defectors excluded from the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s surveys since May.

Ministry of Unification [Image source=Yonhap News]

The local government in charge, Yangcheon-gu, received crisis warning information from the Ministry of Health and Welfare five times over a year starting last May and visited Ms. Kim’s residence five times but failed to meet her. Later, on the 19th, Ms. Kim was found in a skeletal state by employees of the Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH) and court officers who visited her home to proceed with forced eviction due to over a year of unpaid rent.

The Ministry of Unification’s case management for North Korean defectors is handled by the Hana Center under the Nam-Buk Hana Foundation. It operates through private consignment such as social welfare centers by jurisdiction. The center responsible for Ms. Kim’s area also reportedly took no special measures due to "loss of contact." It was explained that since Ms. Kim did not consent to the provision of personal information for case management, the center had no possible actions.

On the 24th, Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se was asked about this case during a comprehensive audit at the National Assembly and said, "The Safety Support Team ultimately failed to perform its role," adding, "We will review and examine whether there are any points to improve in the North Korean defector safety support system."

However, some argue that Ms. Kim’s solitary death should be viewed not just as a "crisis management" issue but more broadly as a matter of "settlement in South Korea."

A former colleague, Mr. A, who worked with Ms. Kim as a counselor assisting defectors for eight years, pointed out that she would not have been unaware of how to request support if she faced economic or mental difficulties. Moreover, defectors often change their contact information or residence due to personal safety issues, and if they do not notify relevant agencies directly, authorities have no way to take action.

Mr. A said, "If we approach this only from the perspective of failing to protect or manage defectors properly, the problem will repeat," emphasizing, "If defectors themselves do not consent to provide personal information or change their contact details without notification, agencies have no way to know their whereabouts." He added, "We need to fundamentally resolve why she died and the difficulties she faced during the settlement process."

Meanwhile, Ms. Kim reportedly expressed to the police in June 2019 that she no longer wished to receive personal protection, and had her last phone call with a protection officer in December of that year. According to the Act on the Protection and Settlement Support of North Korean Defectors, the government supports personal protection for defectors during the first five years of settlement, which can be extended based on the individual’s wishes.

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