Taking photos with North Korean refugees (Part 1)

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Opinion

Tue, October 3, 2023 | 08:43

Taking photos with North Korean refugees (Part 1)

Posted : 2019-10-05 10:42

Updated : 2019-10-13 10:07

Courtesy of TNKR

Please, don't take my photo!

The Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center asked 142 North Korean refugees how they felt about having their photos taken and their identities revealed online. Ninety-two (64.7 percent) North Korean refugees said they preferred not having their photos and identities revealed online. Fifty (35.3%) said they were not opposed in all situations or were fine with their photos and identities being revealed online. -- ED.

Hanna, female, escaped North Korea in 2016, arrived in South Korea in 2017

Please, no, I hope the volunteers won't try to take my photo, I really don't want it. I have a couple of reasons for wanting to maintain my privacy. I worked at a casino when I was in North Korea, so I was connected with some high-level government officials and I know about their corruption. They think I am dead because my family reported that I was missing. Second, I still have family in North Korea, I don't want it to be revealed that they lied in reporting that I had died. Third, I am involved in some church activities here, I have so much stress because they want to take photos of the North Korean refugees and highlight us in their videos and brochures. Some of the members want to take selfies with us and post them online. I must ask them to mosaic my face in photos, otherwise they want to post my photo and mention that I am from North Korea. I really hope to have a low profile as I try to make my new life here.

Soo, male, escaped North Korea in 2011, arrived in South Korea in 2011

No photos. I wasn't at a high rank, but I was in the North Korean military and I have the feeling if they confirm I escaped that they would cruelly punish my family. Taking photos with foreigners would be a reason for them to torture me or my family even more. I remember the negative feelings we had about North Korean men who escaped, at that time they seemed to be the worst traitors because not only did they refuse to fight for the country, but some even escaped to the enemy in South Korea. Now I am one of those traitors. I don't want to give them any extra reasons to want to punish me or my family members. Showing my face and revealing I am from North Korea is the kind of thing to provoke that crazy country.

Jeakyung, female, escaped North Korea in 2012, arrived in South Korea in 2017

I really hope I don't have to show my face. I still have relatives in North Korea, I don't want them to be exposed in any way. I disappeared for a while then I escaped, so they can say they don't know where I am. It has been a few years since I contacted them. My parents wanted me to get out of North Korea while I was still young, but I still feel guilty at times. I could change later, but for now it is better for me to completely avoid contacting anyone in North Korea. My father told me to run and not to look back, it could cause them trouble if I tried to contact them and it might make it more difficult for me to accept my new life if I kept looking back to North Korea. I also would like to avoid revealing my identity because my friends in college don't know that I am from North Korea. At first I let a few friends know, then one friend invited me to a social event. They were all so interested that I am from North Korea, but then they were trying to introduce me to others so it got out of control. I realized I had to be open or closed, it would be impossible to be in-between. For now, I want to be hidden, finish college, get a good job, and one day I can give my parents a great update about how wonderful my life here is in South Korea, then we will all feel we made the right decision.

Seung-nee, female, escaped North Korea in 2003, arrived in South Korea in 2005

I escaped here so long ago, I am embarrassed that I can't speak English. I hope the volunteers I work with won't ask to take my photo. I really appreciate how much they are helping me to learn English, but I don't want anyone to announce that I am from North Korea. It may seem to be a small reason, but I have settled down here as a Korean, not as a North Korean, so I am not trying to be identified publicly as being from North Korea. Even people at my job haven't figured out that I am from North Korea, I guess it means that I have learned enough about South Korea that people here haven't figured it out.

The comments were collected by Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center. Lartigue was the 2017 winner of the "Social Contribution" Prize from the Hansarang Rural Cultural Foundation and was recently named the 2019 winner of a "Challenge Maker" Award from Challenge Korea. TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee translated the remarks of the refugees from Korean to English.

CJL@alumni.harvard.edu