Defectors demand tougher action against N. Korea
Four defectors speak during a round-table discussion with with The Korea Times at a restaurant in Seoul, Oct. 25. From left are Choi Dong-uck, a North Korean restaurant owner who also leads a defectors' social club; An Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies; Park Sang-hak, chief of the Fighters for a Free North Korea (FFNK); and Kim Yeong-ho, a project manager at Serving Life International. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Yi Whan-woo
North Korean defectors are asking the conservative government to step up its rhetoric against the Kim Jong-un regime.
At a round-table discussion with The Korea Times in Seoul, four defectors ― An Chan-il, Park Sang-hak, Kim Yeong-ho, and Choi Dong-uck ― said they supported President Park Geun-hye’s offer for North Koreans other than the ruling class to come to South Korea.
They still urged the Park administration to continue its controversial proposal, claiming that such effort was critical to improve North Korea’s dire human rights record.
An is head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies. Park Sang-hak leads Fighters for a Free North Korea (FFNK), an activist group specializing in sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the reclusive regime. Kim Yeong-ho is a project manager at Serving Life International, a human rights group for North Koreans. Choi, also a North Korean restaurant owner, leads a defectors’ social club;
“When I heard the President’s speech, I felt my heart pounding because I was deeply moved by the fact that this country is right on track in its support for North Korean human rights,” An said.
Choi said she “appreciates” the President’s efforts, and Kim Yeong-ho assessed that such efforts “will open doors for North Koreans to enter South Korea and live here without discrimination and prejudice.”
“The President officially invited North Koreans to live here and such an invitation is expected to help defectors receive better treatment here,” Choi added.
An Chan-il speaks while other participants listen during a round-table discussion in Seoul, Oct. 25. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Since August, the President has repeatedly urged ordinary North Koreans to come to the South for “freedom and human rights” in what is seen as an attempt to press the Kim Jong-un regime harder by separating Pyongyang's ruling class from others.
An was among guests invited to the ceremony for the 68th Armed Forces Armed Forces on Oct. 1. The President then urged North Koreans ― rank-and-file troops and citizens ― to abandon their country and defect to the “bosom of freedom” in the South.
A total of 1,036 people fled from North Korea to the South between January and September. The figure is up 21 percent from the same period in 2015.
It is estimated that the number will surpass 30,000 by mid-November, up from 29,830 in September.
Park Sang-hak said more people should defect to South Korea, adding, “It can contribute to the well-being of the North Koreans ultimately.”
He claimed that many North Koreans relied on family members who escaped to South Korea in learn about the outside world.
“The more North Koreans escape, the higher chance for the Kim Jong-un regime to collapse and let the North Koreans become free,” he said.
The President’s speeches concerning defectors faced opposition from liberal-minded politicians. For instance, minor opposition People’s Party floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won called the speeches as “declaration of war” against North Korea.
Park Jie-won was a former chief of staff to late President Kim Dae-jung, who held the first inter-Korean summit with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in June 2000.
“It was North Korea who repeatedly declared war with South Korea even nowadays,” An said, referring to Pyongyang’s repeated military provocations. “In this climate, Park’s speeches should be seen as self-defense efforts.”
Park Sang-hak said South Koreans should be clear in distinguishing the left-wing from the progressive-minded.
“People tend to sympathize with Park Jie-won because they merely see him as a liberal- or progressive-minded politician,” he said. “There’s a clear difference between the term ‘left-wing’ and ‘progressive-minded, especially when it comes to issues on North Korea, and people should realize it.”
Park was embroiled in a dispute for sending balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflet across the demilitarized zone despite North Korea’s threats to retaliate and fear among South Koreans living in border areas.
Yet, An, Kim Yeong-ho, and Choi Dong-uck back the anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign.
“Despite denial from some South Koreans, I can guarantee that the leaflets serve as a credible source in getting information on the outside world,” Kim Yeong-ho said.
The four defectors asked the government to listen to defectors’ opinions. They said it fell short of taking such opinions into account in setting up a government-run North Korean human rights center that opened in September.
The government set up an archive to record Pyongyang’s human rights violations under an ordinance endorsed by Cabinet. The government also established a foundation to oversee and support projects aimed at improving the Kim regime's human rights records.
The Ministry of Justice operates the archive, which will store data based on North Korean defectors’ testimonies.
The ministry may use the data to refer the North Korean despot and his aides to the International Criminal Court or file an independent suit against them if the two Koreas are united, according to government sources.
“The thing is, there are no defectors hired at the center, and I wonder how the government will run it effectively,” An said.
Choi said, “Defectors can be valuable assets in improving North Korean human rights and I hope the government capitalizes on us.”
Meanwhile, the government plans to introduce a package of measures in mid-November to help North Korean defectors settle in the South.
The Ministry of Unification will announce the measures. They will be aimed at better integrating defectors into South Korean society with support from central and local governments as well as the private sector.
“Our goal is to help defectors break social barriers that prevent them from mingling with South Koreans,” a ministry official said.
“We’re considering expanding job opportunities, bolstering community activities and other programs. We'll finalize the details after consulting relevant officials from other ministries, politicians and leaders from various regions.”
The ministry is also considering starting a public awareness campaign on TV.
The government’s move comes after its latest analysis showed that prejudice and stereotypes toward defectors still persist while their numbers have continue to rise.