The Bloody Footprints of North Korean Refugees

Abstract

North Korean refugees first caught the notice of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service during the 1990s when North Korea had to suffer an unprecedented famine. Since then the number of North Korea refugees had steadily increased until it started to fluctuate depending on the regulations of North Korea and China at particular moments in history (King, 2021). Although the initial motivation for the refugees was survival from hunger, later refugees left North Korea seeking basic human rights that were denied to them. Although these North Koreans know the punishment for getting caught while trying to escape from the North Korean regime was an undignified and slow death full of suffering, they still left their country to pursue a life where they could be treated as free and proper human beings. The journey to South Korea is an arduous and taxing one, and the refugees must navigate the dangerous checkpoints and border patrols in China lest they get caught and repatriated back to North Korea. Upon traveling from north China to south China, the refugees enter two transition countries, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand. Each country provides their own hardships to the refugees, before allowing them passage into South Korea. Once inside, the North Korean refugees are questioned and subsequently educated regarding the differences between North Korea and South Korea lifestyles. Upon finishing their schooling, the refugees are considered South Korean citizens.