North Korean defectors or refugees?

Lee Jeong-cheol, center, speaks to visitors to South Korea, July 11, 2022. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International

Recently, there has been growing attention in South Korean society regarding how North Korean refugees are labeled. Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok used the term pàntáozhě in Chinese in his graduate school thesis, which refers to someone who betrays or rebels and then flees.

However, controversies over how to refer to North Korean refugees in foreign languages are nothing new. In South Korea, the term “defector” has long been used, regardless of political orientation.

That said, I believe conservative governments are in no position to criticize others. During previous conservative administrations, officials also referred to North Korean refugees as “defectors” — a term that can imply traitor or someone who abandons a cause — in English-language interviews and press releases.

Under the previous Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the Ministry of Unification used the term “North Korean defector” in press releases related to support policies for North Korean escapees and in connection with events such as “North Korean Defectors’ Day.”

As many readers may know, individuals like me who have escaped from North Korea and resettled in South Korea are referred to by a range of Korean terms, including talbukmin (North Korean escapee), saeteomin (new settler), and bukhyangmin (person of northern origin).

But do you know how we are referred to in English?

There is no universally recognized term, but common English labels include “North Korean defector,” “refugee,” and “escapee.” Among these, “defector” is by far the most frequently used in media coverage and official reports.

The issue with this term is that “defector” does not simply denote someone who has fled a country. It also carries the meaning of traitor or someone who has renounced allegiance. Importantly, “traitor” is precisely the word the North Korean regime uses to condemn those who escape.

Considering that there are already multiple Korean terms to describe people like us, one may wonder: why does it matter what English term is used? The label “North Korean defector” causes two significant problems.

First, North Korean refugees are not defectors in the sense of political turncoats or betrayers. Most people who leave North Korea do so out of a basic need to survive. Due to the regime’s dysfunction, marked by widespread food shortages and unbearable living conditions, individuals are often left with no choice but to escape in order to live.

Of course, there are some who later state, after arriving in South Korea, “I escaped for freedom” or “I left because I preferred democracy.” But even these individuals, when they first crossed the Yalu or Tumen Rivers, were likely motivated primarily by the desperate need to survive.

So, is it truly appropriate to refer to North Korean escapees using a term like “defector,” which carries a strong connotation of betrayal?

From my own experience, when I reflect on my life in North Korea, I cannot recall a single thing the regime ever provided for me. On the contrary, I experienced hunger caused by chronic food shortages, was subjected to absurd ideological indoctrination, and endured gross violations of human rights. The North Korean regime has no moral authority to label escapees as “traitors,” and by the same logic, it is problematic for media outlets and policy documents to refer to us as “defectors.”

Second, using the term “defector” as the standard English designation for North Korean escapees distorts their identity. Generally, those who flee their countries due to government failure, famine, or natural disasters are classified as refugees.

They leave out of necessity to survive, which is precisely why the international community provides humanitarian assistance to refugees. For this reason, when human rights organizations and activists criticize China for forcibly repatriating North Korean escapees, they often argue:

“The Chinese government should recognize the refugee status of North Korean escapees, just as the international community does,” and “China should allow North Korean escapees to move to the countries they wish to go to.” These arguments are entirely justified. If one truly understands the conditions that compel North Koreans to flee, then it is only natural to recognize them as refugees.

However, when I review interviews or reports on this issue, I often notice that — even when arguing for refugee status — many still use the term “defector” rather than “refugee.” This is, in my view, a contradiction. Using the term “defector” risks reframing the plight of North Korean escapees as a political matter rather than a humanitarian or human rights issue.

That is why I believe the terminology used in English to describe North Korean escapees plays a significant role in shaping how the world understands issues like forced repatriation and human rights in North Korea.

I have been concerned about this issue since the mid-to-late 2010s. I have raised it consistently in lectures on unification, during broadcast appearances, at the “I Am from North Korea” speech contest hosted by Freedom Speakers International, and in a previous Korea Times commentary.

In October 2023, when former U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Julie Turner visited, I brought up this topic with her directly. If I recall correctly, she responded that because North Koreans flee for various reasons, multiple terms are used. Perhaps as a result, media outlets and human rights organizations now often use a combination of terms such as “refugee,” “defector,” and “escapee” when referring to North Korean escapees.

Nevertheless, I wish to emphasize this again: given that the North Korean regime is fundamentally irresponsible, that survival itself is a daily struggle, and that hunger is what drives many to flee, does it truly make sense to label these individuals with a word like “defector,” which implies betrayal?

Lee Jeong-cheol is a Keynote Speaker with Freedom Speakers International (FSI) in Seoul, Korea. He is currently in the United States as a Fulbright Fellow. This was edited for publication by FSI co-founder Casey Lartigue Jr.