A small number of Koreans will finally meet
elderly relatives this week as the two Koreas embark upon a fresh round of
separated family reunions, the first of its kind since 2010.
The South Korean participants in the
upcoming reunions have been selected via a lottery system hosted by the Korean
National Red Cross. Meanwhile, the North Korean participants have gone through a
number of stages of investigation before being allowed to take part.
Overseeing this process is Department No. 6
of the Organization and Guidance Department of the Workers’ Party; the
“Overseas Compatriot Welcoming Bureau.” This department is responsible for
overseeing North Korean citizens originally from the South or with familial
connections to the South.
Department No. 6 divides persons of South
Korean heritage into three categories. The first is those who fought on the
side of the Chosun People’s Army during the Korean War. This category is then
subdivided into “serving personnel,” “former personnel,” and “children of
serving or former personnel.” The second category contains South Koreans who
fled to North Korea during the Korean War, while ethnic Koreans of Japanese or
other foreign background and South Koreans with a North Korean criminal record make
up the third.
These categories should be seen as a direct
reflection of the class system in use in North Korea as a whole, which also
contains three classes; core, wavering and hostile [to the Kim regime]. Levels
of discrimination and social welfare assistance are directly correlated with
these categories. Similarly, class placement overwhelmingly determines the
likelihood of a given individual having a chance to reunite with family members
from the South via an event such as the one coming up later this week.
This time, 180 North Koreans have been
granted permission to participate in the separated family reunions, in
accordance with an agreement signed between Seoul and Pyongyang on February 14th. In
other words, Department No.6 has already vetted this group, and handed down details
of approved participants to officials in charge of “foreigners and overseas
compatriots” within People’s Committees at town, county and regional
administrative levels.
These officials then cooperate with local State
Security Department, Ministry of People’s Security and Party officials to investigate
the shortlisted participants again and submit a list of those who pass the
investigation back to the Provincial People’s CommitteeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More. These investigations
include background checks into past behavior and personal files, as well as home
visits. Demonstrable loyalty to the regime and familial background are the major
standards by which decisions are made. This information is then passed upward and reevaluated. Finally, successful participants are brought to Pyongyang for up to
two weeks of education on ideological and political matters geared toward
ensuring standards of behavior during reunions.
Defectors say that if, for instance, South
Korean relatives ask after family members in the North who are ill or are in
prison, North Korean relatives are told to inform them that they have
died. Participants are also required to
say they lead good lives in the North, and attribute this to their leader. The authorities have been known to frame
photos taken with leaders or letters of commendation to have them show off to South
Korean relatives. Nobody may say anything overtly critical about the North
Korean regime. Security department personnel are present throughout to keep
watch on proceedings.
One defector with links to separated family
in the North told one of Daily NK’s defector reporters on the 18th, “In order
to conceal the fact that separated families are suffering from chronic food
shortages, the authorities have provided suits to the men and traditional
clothing to the women. They feed them meat and other foods they wouldn’t normally
get so as to ensure they gain weight. You are also guaranteed the convenience
of dentures if you have no teeth.”
