Please introduce yourself.
My name is Park Jung Woo (pictured right) and I am 26 years old. My hometown is Saebyol
(Kyongwon County) in North Hamgyong Province. I’m currently a university student.
(Kyongwon County) in North Hamgyong Province. I’m currently a university student.When did you defect?
I defected in 2005 via the Shenyang embassy in China. I spent 17 months there and entered South Korea in September 2006.
Then it has been 10 years since you arrived in South Korea. How do you think you’ve changed between then and now?
Physically, my body is healthier than before because I enjoy exercising. But my original goal of becoming a successful businessman has since changed to merely wanting to live an ordinary life.
Did you want to become an entrepreneur when you first came to Korea?
That’s right, I wanted to earn a lot of money because I thought there was lots I could do to help my family and hometown in North Korea. However, now it seems that it was a dream beyond my reach. So now my dream has become more realistic and I just look forward to living an ordinary life.
I believe you are currently enrolled at Korea Maritime and Ocean University (KMOU). What is your major?
My major is in Marine Systems Engineering. From a career perspective, this degree leads to two major paths: either becoming the captain of a ship or a chief engineer.
Your major is not a common choice. How did you select it?
From a young age, I’ve always enjoyed putting together machinery and tinkering with it. I also have a streak of stubbornness where I need to see an end to things. I believe that my personality is more suited to engineering rather than the humanities.
How did you find out about this major in South Korea?
As I mentioned, my dream when I first came to South Korea was to earn lots of money. But starting a business requires a fair bit of capital, and I thought that following a regular path would not generate enough. So I chose a path that not many from the North have gone down before. I decided to pursue a specialist path, and found about KMOU through a friend, and eventually chose this major. There were a lot of difficulties that came with entrance into the university, because previous defectors have never chosen this area of study.
To have a North Korean student must have been a first for the university as well.
That’s right. The school didn’t know exactly how to process my application. Since they had not accepted a defector student before, there wasn’t a system in place at all. I had to liaise between the school and the Education Office to get the admission process rolling.
Was your admission process difficult?
Yes. I was accepted through a special admission process because I’m a defector. There were a lot of difficulties on both sides because it was their first time as well.
Has your college life been as difficult as your admission process?
Yes. Above all, the schoolwork has been very trying. I thought that I was relatively skilled at math and science, but I was in for a shock. KMOU requires one year of practical training outside of Korea in the third year of study, and I’ve had a standard timetable from the very beginning. It takes 150 credits to graduate, so I had to take at least 23 credits per semester. I didn’t get to choose all the courses that interested me or suited me. Though I attended all my classes, it was so difficult that I even received an academic warning. As a result, I began to think that this path wasn’t for me and I applied for a leave of absence after my first year. I had a lot to think about.
Though your schoolwork must have been difficult, I’m also curious about your relationships with your peers at the university.
It’s generally thought that defectors have difficulties making personal connections. However, KMOU makes it mandatory for students to live in dormitories and this helped me to make friends faster. This is why personal relations were not a big problem. Even now, I have some friends who know that I come from North Korea and others who don’t, but I don’t think about it a lot. Like I’ve said previously, the most difficult aspect of my life has been the academic demands.
How did you cover your living and tuition fees?
The full tuition was covered by the government. Living costs were met by working part time and also from my mother. I am also taking advantage of the school’s scholarships. Moreover, I was not aware of a defector scholarship system since I lived in Busan, but starting this semester, for the first and the last time, I will receive a scholarship from the Korea Hana Foundation.
I’ve heard that finding employment is not very difficult after graduating from KMOU. What kind of work are you thinking about after graduation?
Prior to graduating from KMOU, one needs to pass the marine engineer national exam, which I did last year. This test has several levels which determines your rank aboard a ship upon graduation. To be honest, boarding a ship is a frightening thought for me. Being on a ship makes you feel as though you are cut off from the rest of the world. While graduating from KMOU exempts you from military service, one has to work aboard a ship for three years. I am currently pondering what I will do after those three years.
Do you have any personal goals?
When I see others who have defected saying things in the press and social media, I want to join them. However, one needs to have strength and confidence to say things in public. I think what you say will be more authoritative if you have a respectable position in society. Therefore, my thought is to first rise to a respectable position and then speak, although I haven’t really thought much about the future.
Many defectors have difficulty settling in due to social prejudice, cultural differences and other problems. Have you experienced any particular problems during your 10 years in South Korea?
Humans are adaptive creatures. While there were problems, I’ve learnt to overcome them. When I first came to South Korea, I entered a regular high school. My peers were two years younger than me and seemed to be uncomfortable with the way I spoke. At first many asked where I came from due to my accent, but that doesn’t happen anymore. Changing the way defectors speak is a tangible problem that can be fixed. Although social prejudice is another case, I think that many of these problems arise because of a victim mentality. I have many South Korean friends, including some who know that I’ve come from North Korea and others who do not. When we hang out, we don’t think much about our backgrounds and because of this there aren’t many issues. I would imagine that there would be less prejudice if defectors weren’t as self-conscious.
Many defectors have similarly focused on your past mentality of wanting to earn money as much and as soon as possible. In light of your experiences, what words of advice do you have for younger defectors?
Although everyone has different circumstances, in my opinion, I recommend that defectors experience university life. They will undoubtedly learn something from it. But I don’t mean to say that those who only want to earn money and receive work experience should still go to university regardless. University isn’t purely for the sake of studying. There are many ways to earn a living without a university education (such as welding, forklift operating, etc.). If a person wants to go to university, then they should. If they want to learn a trade or a skill, then they should do that. However, my point is that going to university is a good way to get your future on track in South Korea, and a good way to integrate into wider society.
