Just this year, Kim Jong Eun has been visiting orphanages build the image of his “love for future generations” declaration. He recently
ordered all regional inminban to form a 9.27 task forces, separate
the kkotjebi in their respective quarters, and send them to designated
orphanages, as part of an initiative to “take good care of the orphans.”
A source reported Daily NK that it has been difficult to
spot any of these homeless children in the market areas since then. “Kkotjebi” is a term used for North Korea’s homeless children, which literally means “flower
that has been swallowed up”, implying their inability to grow properly due to a
lack of nurture.
The slogan, “leader’s interest brings opportunity to expand
influence in the markets” is the main factor in the rise of merchants’ exploitation
of these children.
The North Korean authorities bestow certain benefits , such as licenses to run restaurants or exemptions from
taxes and fees with which residents are often burdened, to those who take in one of the kkotjebi, thus, shifting the
responsibility of taking in and supporting these children onto the residents.
A source noted that market vitalization has spurred an influx of orphans who,
despite the fact that they have parents, loiter around the markets. While on the one hand, women are actively involved in market vitalization
endeavors, men are steadfast in their antiquated patriarchal customs.
Since, for the most part, men are merely passive participants in these economic
vitalization efforts, the number of adoptive parents who are giving up children originally in their care is high.
Daily NK conducted an interview with a source from South
Pyongan Province to delve deeper into the current plight of these orphans and
the social issues stemming from it.
Daily NK [DNK]: There is talk circulating that the number of
orphans has been decreasing.
South Pyongan Source [SPS]: For every 10 of the kkotjebi that
are in the marketplace, about two to three of them used to have parents. The
belief is that as the market stabilizes, ‘”parents will possess the capacity to
provide for their children,” and thus, some have returned home. In addition,
there have been orders executed by the 9.27 task force to capture all the
kkotjebi and send them to “housing for the homeless.”
Currently, these kkotjebi are also being used for free
labor. Residents take advantage of them by working them hard while providing
them with barely any food. In this way, they obscure the very existence of the
kkotjebi.
DNK: Does this mean that kkotjebi who were picked up by the
9.27 task force are being sent to the orphanages?
SPS: It is rare for kkotjebi who are managed by the state to
end up in the orphanages. Children who are sent there tend to be those of
parents who died while working. For example, children whose parents perished in
the recent building collapse in Pyongyang were then sent to these facilities,
which maintain relatively good conditions.
When the kkotjebi go to these orphanages, it is the result
of policy implementation from above, and they are only there for a short time.
DNK: Please explain the influence that market vitalization
has had on the kkotjebi.
SPS: While there are some kkotjebi who are able to return
home as a result of the market stabilization, there are many who are not able
to do so. Ever since there has been a growing number of women engaging in
economic activities, many will claim that they are going out to make money,
never to return. It is estimated that approximately 30% of school students are
without parents.
As women become liberalized through their economic pursuits,
their values have been changing. Instead of divorcing their staunchly
patriarchal husbands, they will simply leave home. When this happens, many
children automatically become “kkotjebi,” as according to the patriarchal
system, only women, not men, take care of children.
Furthermore, men are not as proactive when it comes to
market activity. Therefore, when women leave the home, men relinquish
responsibility of their child because they do not believe that they can raise a
child on their own.
DNK: What are the perspectives of the North Korean people on
the kkotjebi?
SPS: Most are sympathetic. While in the past, many vendors
were more than reluctant to give the kkotjebi even the smallest morsels of
food, these days, an increasing number of people are willing to give. However,
if the child is over 14 years of age, the story changes. First off, the perspective
that they should at least make money as porters, which in turn encourages them
to panhandle, is criticized.
Earning money in the marketplace is not an easy task for
these children. I’ve heard that many take off with the cars from foreign-currency
earning enterprises and sell them for parts. They are often too fast for the
traffic guards to stop, so it’s hard to catch them, and there are many who have
died from resulting traffic accidents.
DNK: Are there many instances where infants are abandoned?
SPS: It is not very common. However, recently, I’ve heard of
a two-month old infant who was left in an unsanitary place, swaddled in a
blanket. While kkotjebi can be ignored, it is not easy to ignore such a young
child. The head of the local inminban [people’s unit] would step up and give
the child over to a woman who is not able to conceive. This same head would
also be responsible for providing sustenance for the new mother and child.
In a recent development, more and more women who work in the
marketplace refuse to get married, and, are set on staying single. There have
also been instances where these women would get pregnant. Since abortion is
illegal, many babies are abandoned. The circumstances are similar when
pregnancies arise between Party cadres and those in higher echelons with
illicit lovers.
DNK: Are there any countermeasures that the North Korean
authorities are implementing?
SPS: North Korean authorities don’t even give any thought to
this. I wonder if they even have the time to contemplate such issues.
Occasionally, they would be requested to use the kkotjebi as laborers. However,
this not in any way meant to solution. The reason for the request is so that
they don’t get criticized later on, when a kkotjebi dies. It is supposed to be
a preemptive tactic.
In such circumstances, the head of the proper inminban would
confirm the identity of the kkotjebi. Although they are not paid, room and
board is provided. Generally, girls 13 years of age and above work as
housekeepers. Since there are not many jobs boys can do in the market, many
male kkotjebi tend to be found hanging around the marketplace.
DNK: Are there many benefits for people who raise kkotjebi?
SPS: Whenever there is a policy created that demands one to “take
an interest,” at that time, people
can receive benefits, like in the case of raising one of the kkotjebi. They would see this as an opportunity
to improve their business skills in the market while raising children; this
system tends to lead toward a “I did it myself,” instead of “the government
provided it” mentality among residents.
In other words, people are using the “rid the streets of the
kkotjebi” policy to exploit them for money-making purposes. I have also seen
people who jokingly say that they would try to establish a “Ri Sol
Ju [Kim Jong Eun’s wife] Orphanage.”
