[INTERVIEW] Sponsoring dreams of North Korean defectors

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Mon, October 2, 2023 | 09:57

People & Events

INTERVIEWSponsoring dreams of North Korean defectors

Posted : 2022-08-24 07:49

Updated : 2022-08-25 11:07

Seo You-jin, a lawyer and director of the Nanum & Ieum Foundation, poses during a youth counseling program near Bucheon Station in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, in this June 3 file photo. Courtesy of Seo You-jin

By Jung Min-ho

It is easy to assume that North Korean defectors are more satisfied with their lives here than they were before their escape. In South Korea, they no longer have to worry about starving to death or being imprisoned for criticizing corrupt leaders.

Yet the reality is more complicated. Here, North Korean defectors struggle with different issues. Some say they feel even more lost than when they were trying to escape a land with no freedom.

Lawyer Seo You-jin, 34, the director of the Nanum & Leum Foundation established by the law firm Shin & Kim, said she was one of those who had that same blind notion before she started to truly listen to their voices.

"I was surprised to learn that some North Korean defectors tried to kill themselves because of depression. They had motivation for a better future when they risked their lives to escape North Korea. That made me ponder what we, as a society, should do to help," she said in an interview, Tuesday.

Seo, who also helps adolescents in need, said the two groups have some things in common: They have no one to trust or even talk to and ― with little support, if not none at all ― many could easily fall for the temptations of crime such as voice phishing or drug trafficking. Many of these pitfalls, she believes, are preventable.

The past five years of helping North Korean defectors find and develop their dreams have been a rewarding experience, she said. The foundation, which she took charge of in 2018, has sponsored Freedom Speakers International's English-speaking contest for refugees from North Korea since its second one in August 2015. This Saturday, the 16th event is scheduled to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Seoul.

When Casey Lartigue, co-founder of the organization, held the first contest at a community center in downtown Seoul, he thought it was going to be a one-off event. However, thanks to support from the foundation, joined later by several others, it could continue and thrive.

Nearly 100 North Korean defectors have shared their stories through the platform, many doing so for the first time in front of a big audience. It opened up other opportunities for them, some of whom later published their stories in book form or did TEDx Talks. Lee Sung-ju, author of "Every Falling Star," Cherie Yang, a TEDx speaker and YouTuber who now lives in the U.S., and Jung Yu-na, a commentator on the TV show "On My Way to Meet You" are among the well-known participants.

Seo said she is glad to be part of the efforts for positive development, which has had an impact on not only the North Korean speakers but also potentially millions of people who have listened to them through various channels.

Seo, whose dream has always been to become a lawyer since the day she watched the film "I Am Sam," said her area of interest is the rights of children and teenagers.

Many become lawyers with the aspiration of changing the system or policies they think are unjust. But Seo said she is the type of person who feels more fulfilled by the positive changes she makes through personal interactions.

"I want to grow as a lawyer as I continue to listen to and interact with the people who need me," she said.

mj6c2@koreatimes.co.kr