By Kim Tae-jong
The death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il could make the communist country unstable for a while and may result in an exodus of refugees to the South, experts say.
South Korea, however, lacks the necessary support programs to cope with them, and a massive influx of defectors might cause a social problem.
Over 20,000 defectors have come here with hopes for a new life but most of them are leading a hard existence, experiencing discrimination because of where they are from.
Lee Min-young has tried not to explicitly reveal that she is from North Korea in her resume and cover letter in the course of getting a job. Otherwise, she won’t even be granted an interview.
“When I wrote that I’m from the North in my resume, no companies showed interest in interviewing me at all,” she said. “I think they have a negative attitude toward North Korean defectors. If I have a chance for a job interview, I’d just want to tell them that I’m a person capable of handling the assigned work.”
She came to Seoul two years ago, ending 10-years of hiding in China after escaping from the North.
Lee said she made up her mind to find a new life in the South as she was tired of hiding from the Chinese police and leading a life in fear of deportation and punishment.
“I believed a whole new life would await me here. I also thought I would enjoy what I deserved if I worked really hard, but the reality is much harsher than I expected.”
When she used to work at a factory in the North, she dreamed of working in an office in the South. So she prepared intensively by obtaining the necessary skills and acquiring various certificates in computing and accounting. But she is now between jobs after quitting her first position at an accounting office.
“Of course, I know I’m clumsy in many things, but people at work treated me really badly without helping me out and instead scorned me harshly,” she said.
Like Lee, many North Korean defectors here complain that the prejudice and discriminatory treatment against them is the biggest problem they face.
Still suffering from the psychological trauma of escaping the communist nation, they encounter many differences between the North and South such as language, culture and the social system, which makes it hard for them to adjust to life here.
Although they receive some basic orientation at the resettlement center in Hanawon, where defectors learn about South Korean culture and the social and economic systems for three months upon arrival here, they still complain it is insufficient to prepare them for a new life.
According to the Ministry of Unification, the total number of defectors reached 20,000, as of last year.
Although many defectors find jobs with help from the center, they find themselves treated as outcasts. The turnover rate of defectors last year stood at 45 percent with only 32 percent staying at their initial company for over a year.
Another North Korean defector Kim Jung-soo also agreed that there is not enough practical support.
“The government’s support focuses on aid for North Korean defectors who have just arrived here, namely basic tools to help them adjust to life here in the beginning. But it lacks longer-term support which can help their dreams come true here,” she said.
Always fascinated by fashion and clothes, Kim said she dreamed of becoming a fashion designer and her passion finally led her to come here.
In the end, she went to university majoring in fashion right after arriving but the 35-year-old said she now faces various forms of prejudice as she looks for a job.
“I had never felt that I was discriminated against when I studied with my South Korean friends, but when I tried to get a job, I felt as if a huge wall stood in front of me, blocking me from moving forwards,” she said.
The government’s support programs only allow defectors to end up with low-paying jobs as there are only limited chances available for them such as working in factories and as daily laborers, she added.
Other defectors agreed it is almost impossible for them to find more decent employment under the current support programs.
“If you want to land a decent job, you have to prepare for it, of course,” said Park Kyung-hee, who is training to become a nurse’s aide. “But you only receive about 400,000 won as a monthly subsidy from the government, and it’s not enough to live here, so you need to do part-time work for many hours and then you don’t have time to prepare for job qualifications.”
Experts say that North Korean defectors should be allowed a chance to have more sophisticated professions so that they feel they can make a contribution as a part of society.
“It can be seen as discrimination against South Koreans, if we provide them with so many favors just because they are from the North,” said Nam Jin-ae, a counselor at Hana Center, a state-owned job center for defectors. “But at least, we need to help them have a fair opportunity to seek their dream just like other South Koreans.”
Kim Gi-sung, who plans to organize a labor union for his fellow North Korean defectors, says they should be given a chance to make a contribution to society here, facilitating their unique characteristics.
“They can work as a bridge between the North and South, which should be better recognized,” he said.