By Kim Young-jin
Like many Americans, Tara Lukas, a junior at Princeton University, was deeply concerned over North Korea’s deadly sinking of the warship Cheonan last year. But as campus life marched on, it quickly faded from her mind.
It wasn’t until she visited what remains of the ship as part of her summer internship with the Ministry of Unification that the magnitude of the event hit a chord.
“It was very emotional. People cried when they saw (the wreckage),” the 20-year-old majoring in comparative politics and East Asian affairs said. “Seeing that, it made clear the importance of good North-South relations.”
Lukas is among the handful of foreigners participating in the program alongside Korean students that gives them a rare inside look at the state of inter-Korean relations. The experience, they say, has provided a clearer idea of what role citizens back home can play to address the many problems that emanate from the North.
For Jay McNair, a recent graduate from Davidson College in the United States, the moment of illumination came when he met North Korean defectors studying at universities here and the subject of religion came up.
“They said in North Korea they didn’t have any concept of God at all,” said McNair, who is mulling a career in the government. “I’m not particularly religious, but it’s something you think about.”
“Hearing statistics or impersonal facts, I can’t grasp their experience emotionally. But that was concrete.”
The ministry, which publicized the program through Facebook and Twitter, says it nearly doubled its number of interns this year in a sign of growing interest among young people as well as overseas.
This summer’s 69 interns include two other Westerners as well as two Korean-Americans. They attend lectures and field trips and each work in one of the ministry’s departments.
Kelly Heo, a Korean-American studying public policy at Duke, added that it was a valuable chance to see the situation from multiple angles.
“I started by wanting to get closer to my culture. But as I went on, I realized the United States is more involved than I thought. It was interesting to see it from both perspectives,” she said.
Lukas and McNair recently completed the first phase of the internship and are staying on as “reporters,” getting more deeply involved and lending their English-language abilities to their respective departments.
Lukas said working for the ministry’s broadcast department, where she has interviewed foreigners for their perspectives, has opened her eyes on how ordinary citizens can help address humanitarian issues in the North.
“A lot of people see North Korea as totally untouchable until reunification and feel helpless,” she said, adding that NGOs are doing important work assisting refugees and otherwise providing help.
“I think people should get the word out as much as possible on ways people can help North Korean people without reunification.”
She said that she would get more involved with groups on campus addressing the human rights concerns.
McNair, who has spent his time researching foreign perspectives on North Korean refugees, said he was surprised how different countries handled the refugee issue, especially China, which recognizes them as illegal migrants and repatriates them to reportedly harsh punishment.
“China is the lynchpin if you’re concerned about the refugees,” he said, adding more awareness-raising was required internationally.
“The more you can spread the word about what’s going on, what the background context is and what refugees are going through, the better they’ll be able to contribute what they can.” Lukas said she hoped more foreigners get the chance to offer their perspectives to the program.
“It is interesting to see how shocked people are that a foreigner would want to get involved, that I’m working at the ministry,” she said. “I hope more people follow suit. Raising more awareness will have a big impact.”