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Asia

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Fri, December 2, 2022 | 15:54

'Have you ever considered returning to North Korea?' (Part 1)

'Have you ever considered returning to North Korea?' (Part 1)

I thought about it a lot when I first arrived. I had left my family behind in North Korea, I was here on my own. South Koreans seemed to be so unsympathetic and uncaring.

2019-09-29 15:06

'Have you ever considered returning to North Korea?' (Part 2)

NK defectors talk about death of mother, son who may have starved

NK defectors talk about death of mother, son who may have starved

There have been international headlines for the past month about a North Korean refugee named Ms. Han Sung-ok who reportedly starved to death in Seoul.

2019-09-21 09:07

What freedom is and why it is essential

What freedom is and why it is essential

What is freedom and why did I risk my life to find it? What is freedom when combined with the words: “private property,” “mobility,” and “speech”? Today, I am going to talk about these three types of freedom.

2019-09-15 09:39

Why do NK refugees take to the stage?

Why do NK refugees take to the stage?

I have two reasons for joining the speech contest. First, healing. When I joined the speech contest two years ago, I went through a healing process. I was able to write about my experience of escaping North Korea, going through China, then settling down here in South Korea. I felt my damaged heart had been healed. TNKR's co-founders, staff and volunteer mentors all encouraged...

2019-09-01 10:28

North Korean refugees speak out on TV shows about them

North Korean refugees speak out on TV shows about them

I arrived in South Korea when there were few North Korean refugees here. I wish those kind of shows would have been in the media then. So many South Koreans assumed we were criminals or losers, or accused us of abandoning our families. The shows aren't perfect, but one good benefit is that they have introduced many South Koreans to everyday North Korean refugees. A second goo...

2019-08-10 09:05

North Korean refugees speak out: 'My Hanawon experience' (6)

North Korean refugees speak out: 'My Hanawon experience' (6)

Hanawon is part of the process of adjusting to South Korea, so I could endure some uncomfortable things. When I was there, I wished Hanawon could have been extended a few months, and it would have been more useful if I could have had one week to experience South Korea on my own. That way, I would have been more focused on the lectures I was hearing.

2019-07-07 12:07

North Korean refugees speak out: 'My Hanawon experience' (5)

North Korean refugees speak out: 'My Hanawon experience' (5)

While I was there, I really wanted to get out. "Why should I be here?" But these days, when I look back, that was my most comfortable time in South Korea. Sometimes I miss the time I was at Hanawon, it was boring, but also it was so quiet, I had time to reflect on my life.

2019-07-01 09:58

North Korean refugees speak out: 'My Hanawon experience' (4)

North Korean refugees speak out: 'My Hanawon experience' (4)

I read the previous blog posts about Hanawon, I am happy to share my experience with you. I hope you can destroy the Hanawon system. It is such a harmful and destructive way to introduce North Korean refugees to South Korean society.

2019-06-22 10:24

North Korean refugees speak out: 'My Hanawon experience' (3)

North Korean refugees speak out: 'My Hanawon experience' (3)

On July 8, 1999, the South Korean government opened the Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees, often referred to as "Hanawon." In the past two decades, more than 32,000 North Korean refugees have made it to South Korea, with almost every refugee passing through Hanawon.

2019-06-15 07:07

North Korean refugees speak out: 'My Hanawon experience' (2)

North Korean refugees speak out: 'My Hanawon experience' (2)

Hanawon was useless for me. I just wanted to get out. It seemed they were letting ideology and politics have too much influence. One ridiculous thing we learned was about putting blocks in toilets to save water. They were more interested in talking about the environment rather than teaching us something practical for everyday survival, such as learning how to pay bills. At th...

2019-06-08 09:12

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