Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human
Rights is to host an exhibition called “Kkotjebi
in Bloom: North Korean Children’s Flight to Freedom” at “gallery IS” in
Insadong, Seoul from August 6th to 11th.
It will be the first exhibition to focus exclusively
on the plight of the kkotjebi, North Koreas large population of homeless children
of whom many beg for food around the country’s public markets.
Pyongyang propagates the notion that North
Korean children are the future of the country and that the leader personally
ensures that they live better lives than any other children on earth. This is
reflected in the practice of giving snacks to every child in the country on the
birthdays of Kim Il Sung on April 15th, Kim Jong Il on February 16th, and Kim
Jong Eun on January 8th.
However, North Korean defectors have long
described a very different, more brutal reality, one that this exhibition aims
to reveal by portraying the human rights violations routinely experience by kkotjebi,
as well as their various methods of flight from North Korea.
In particular, young North Korean defectors
who successfully escaped from kkotjebi life are to offer vivid testimony at the
exhibition. There will be a display of artwork by Seon Moo, a prominent
defector artist, and also by Kang Chun Hyeok, a younger artist who recently
shot to brief prominence when he rapped about Kim Jong Eun and Ri Sol Ju on
Korean cable television reality talent show “Show Me the Money 3.” Defector Park
Yeon Mi will appear to discuss her work, and there will be an appearance by Tanbeol
Elementary School student Kim Seo Yeon, who recently wrote the story “Please
Grant My Wish.”
Citizens’ Alliance says it will use the
funds raised through the exhibition to support the work of bringing refugees
safely to South Korea from third countries.
