[People Met Through Books] "South Korean Society Is Ignorant About North Korean People"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] "South Korean society is ignorant about North Korean people." In fact, the author, Professor Kim Seong-gyeong of the University of North Korean Studies, was no different. From a young age, she was accustomed to situations where her soldier father came home late due to an 'emergency' caused by the 'Bukgoe' (North Korean enemy), and she grew up in an atmosphere that regarded North Korea as a security threat. It was a situation prone to prejudice. However, she did not unconditionally agree with that stance. She questioned the older generation's views on North Korea and tried to analyze them objectively. She thought she had eliminated her prejudices. Yet, after directly meeting North Korean defector women, she confessed based on her realizations that "until then, I had simply perceived them not as 'people' like myself but as the other side of the division called 'North Korea'." Although she recognized them as beings immersed in suffering, in reality, they had various faces expressing joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure even under harsh conditions, and within the limited lives defined by the historical context of war and division, they manifested subjectivity through active agency, creating their own differences.

The author says that based on this experience, she published this book to crack the ignorance of our society toward North Korea. She wrote the stories of about 150 North Korean defector women she had met in the form of 'prose.' This was to move away from conventional social science writing and get closer to the dynamic life trajectories of North Korean women. She was particularly cautious about 'objectifying' North Korean women as research subjects. She portrayed their lives after dismantling the hierarchy between researcher and subject. Through this, she advises that they are not different from us, as they endure the power of the state and patriarchy operating through division in their daily lives. We asked her about her book Women Who Survived Create the World (Changbi Publishing).

-What led you to take an interest in North Korea and North Korean defectors?

▲After completing my doctoral studies, there was a period of over four years when I could not conduct research due to various circumstances. When I finally returned to research after many twists and turns, I needed to find a new research topic considering the rapidly changing society. At that time, what caught my eye was the movement and migration issues of people from North Korea. Back then, more than 2,000 North Koreans entered South Korea annually. I thought that through their lives, I could observe how division, post-Cold War, and globalization operated within the Korean Peninsula context. Before starting full-scale research, I visited the border area between China and North Korea, and the North Korean people and North Korea I encountered there opened a new world for me. What I thought was unrelated to me was actually deeply connected to my life.

-You later interviewed about 150 North Korean defector women. What prompted this, and how did you meet them?

▲I began interviews in earnest from 2011. I met a variety of women, from those staying in the China-North Korea border area to those who had migrated and settled in South Korea. Once settled in South Korea, they receive management from regional Hana Centers, and I met some while volunteering there. I also made efforts to meet women who had undertaken transnational migration and were residing overseas. Starting research activities at the University of North Korean Studies in 2014, I met North Korean-origin individuals on a more everyday level. Many work at our university, and through their introductions, I recently conducted interviews with newly defected individuals.

-Did you focus on any particular aspects during these meetings?

▲My research question was to examine the gendered migration of North Korean women and how the state and history intervened in that process. North Korean women faced considerable pressure from patriarchy and state power even in North Korea. Paradoxically, these harsh conditions also propelled active migration. However, since the main motivation for migration was to support their families economically, even after settling in another country, they were deeply engaged in their roles as mothers within patriarchy.

-What were your impressions of the North Korean defectors you met directly?

▲When I first met North Korean women, academic discourse and social opinion at the time portrayed them as victims of state power. Perhaps because of this, I thought all North Korean women would appear as 'victims' struggling painfully through hardship. But the reality was that they came with very diverse faces. Some were so optimistic and relaxed that it was hard to believe they had endured such hardships. Among over a hundred people, not a single face was the same. This is a point I especially want to emphasize in this book. While they shared similar traits like 'motherly sacrifice,' the ways they expressed that love were all different. Our society needs to pay more attention to these multifaceted appearances that cannot be lumped into a single group.

-Is there a particular North Korean defector woman who left a strong impression on you?

▲Among those I met over several years, there is Grandma Jeong-hee whom I met in China. Since I met her early in her settlement in China, I could compare her changes. At first, she had a strong will to return to North Korea. She came to China to help her children and planned to earn money quickly and return. But when I met her again a few years later, she looked physically and mentally exhausted. The thought of returning to her children seemed to have faded, but she was still full of worry for them. I was moved by her endless 'motherly role,' even worrying about her grandchildren's livelihood. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have not been able to visit China recently, and I worry whether she is doing well and healthy.

-Stories of women within successful settlement narratives in South Korea seem rare.

▲Although rare, there are some North Korean women who show successful businesswoman traits. Some work as doctors or professionals. Some even raise their voices through political activities. However, considering that 70% of North Korean entrants to South Korea are women, the proportion of women actively participating in society is relatively low. Most women barely make ends meet or strive to support their children. North Korean women, with limited social and family support, face significant difficulties in issues like marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing. Greater societal interest is needed to support North Korean women's social activities.

-Last year, news was reported about the solitary death of a North Korean defector woman who had been introduced as a successful case of domestic settlement.

▲It is truly heartbreaking. It appears that the defector woman was exposed to considerable isolation. Neither society nor those around her seemed to have recognized her pain and difficulties. However, the solitary death of a North Korean woman should not be seen simply as a problem of 'North Korean women' but should be examined in connection with issues in our social welfare system and marginalized groups. As economic polarization sharpens and social conflicts expand, the isolation and economic hardships felt by vulnerable groups are intensifying. With the rapid increase of single-person households and serious isolation among the elderly and middle-aged, the issue of solitary death is expected to continue.

-Many risk their lives to defect, but their subsequent lives often do not meet expectations. Some express fear, saying 'If I close my eyes, my nose might be cut off,' while others choose to re-defect back to North Korea.

▲Some express considerable satisfaction with life in South Korea because they can enjoy freedom and do not have to worry about extreme material hardship. However, even these people often express dissatisfaction over time. South Korean society is so competitive that adapting is not easy. Many have to do much harder labor than in North Korea or develop negative perceptions of South Korean society due to conflicts with trusted colleagues. Especially, experiences of relative deprivation, socio-cultural exclusion, and discrimination cause great frustration. To live as members of South Korean society and express their identities, it is crucial not only to provide economic support but also to culturally integrate them as neighbors.

-What do North Korean women need most?

▲Institutionally, considerable progress has already been made. However, the consciousness of living together still needs to be further developed. It has been well over 20 years since they appeared in South Korean society. Now, instead of distinguishing them as 'special people,' we need to accept them as neighbors who experience similar difficulties. We must be cautious that 'help' toward them does not approach as benevolence from those in power. This is also what I wanted to convey through this book. They are not different from us, and we all need to recognize that we are connected.

-Is there anything helpful to know before interacting with North Korean women?

▲It is important to understand that South and North Korean women share many distinctive experiences. Contrary to expectations, their lives on the opposite side of the division system had many commonalities. The traces of war, division, and the Cold War that constrained their lives also exist in my life. Rather, their lives provided me with an opportunity to reflect on my own. Seeing them actively raise their voices to achieve their dreams, I felt the thrill of agentic power. Approaching their multifaceted lives requires an attitude in our society that understands the connection between South and North Korea.

▶Who is the author?

She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Essex in the UK and has worked at Sungkonghoe University and the National University of Singapore. She is currently a professor at the University of North Korean Studies. Her main research topics include North Korean society and culture, migration, women, youth, and film.

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