Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
'More support needed for North Koreans living here'
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Kim Jeong-hye
By Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
The government should increase and diversify support services for former citizens of North Korea living here in order to help them settle successfully, according to Kim Jeong-hye, a counselor for them.
“The defectors tend to seek tips in terms of finance and employment, as well as emotional stability, and we need to come up with appropriate support to fulfill their needs,” she said in a telephone interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday. “Such services are crucial for them to overcome cultural differences and become self-reliant.”
Kim, 41, is one of 90 counselors hired by the Ministry of Unification to help former citizens of the North better cope with cultural differences they encounter in South Korea.
Kim said that she decided to become a counselor to share her experiences of being a former North Korean citizen as well.
Kim is also one of 15 counselors who came from the repressive state. Born in Pyongyang, she settled in Seoul in 2002 after fleeing the dynastic regime.
Kim majored in nursing at a four-year college after arriving here. She then studied social work to develop expertise in counseling.
“When I first came here, there was no program to offer advice for North Korean defectors.
“I thought I could help them by sharing my experience, such as overcoming culture shock.”
The counselors work at some 80 offices across the country run by the Korea Hana Foundation, which is under the unification ministry. They offer free counseling services for North Koreans living here by visiting their homes or taking their phone calls.
The quality of counseling services has improved since the unification ministry began offering such services in 2010, according to Kim. But there is still room for improvement, she said.
“A counselor can’t have expertise in finance, employment and psychology at the same time. And more people with backgrounds in those fields are needed to work together toward providing better services.”