Young defector inspires audience at British Embassy

A North Korean defector named Choi Jeong (alias), who is now studying in South Korea, recently told his story during a talk at the British Embassy in Seoul. Choi graduated from Hanawon (South Korea’s Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees) in 2015, and confesses he was immediately faced with a personal conflict about how to live his life. 
Choi described the immense differences between the North and South Korean education systems that he has experienced as a student at Dae Gwang High School in Seoul. Not only is the teaching style different, but advanced education in math and logic has also proven a frustrating obstacle for Choi. His fear of being ostracized also resulted in him feeling withdrawn when he first enrolled.
But after these initial hardships Choi summoned the courage to make a change, resolving to study hard and overcome discrimination through his own efforts. He now has his sights set on being accepted to Seoul National University. 
Here are some excerpts from Choi Jeong’s story, as presented in his talk at the British Embassy.
– Reasons for defecting
I became an orphan four years ago. My mother left us when I was 10 years old, and then my father passed away early one morning when I was 13. The next day, February 15th, was Kim Jong Il’s birthday, so the authorities made me bury him immediately on the 14th. I had to dig into frozen ground. This was the first time that I really felt fearful of North Korean society. I had to give up school and go and live with a reluctant relative, who made me work extremely hard for my food.

I could suppress my hunger, but what really hurt was the sadness, loneliness, and what I saw as my completely bleak future. I was young and living a nightmare. So I decided to escape the country. With the help of some distant relatives, I was able to board a train towards the border town of Hyesan, trekking over mountains and completing the final leg on foot. It took 10 days in all. Finally, I crossed the river into China on a rubber innertube. Instead of simply thinking,”Wow, I’m alive!” I thought. “Now I can go to South Korea.”

– First impressions of South Korea
I remember at first always being asked at Hanawon if I had originally been a good student in North Korea. Before coming here, though, I hadn’t even used a pen over the prior three years. That’s how bad it was. But Hanawon is the reason why I was able to turn things around and make such progress over the following three years in the South Korean education system. It was my foundation.

My teachers saw my enthusiasm to learn, and I received individual tutoring in math and English until 10pm most nights. I was finally starting to shed the trauma of my life in North Korea. My time at Hanawon was very important to me, and it contributed greatly to boosting my self confidence. 
– Entering public school in South Korea

I started at Jeon Il Middle School in Seoul just two days after leaving Hanawon. Some of the teachers were a bit worried because I was their first defector student. They knew that new students are typically expected to introduce themselves on their first day, but they were wary of how the other students would react if I introduced myself as a defector. I thought about just saying I was from Gangwon Province, but in the end I decided that the right thing to do was just to be honest.
I said to the other students, “I could not attend school in North Korea, so I was not able to study. But I will do my best now, and I hope you will understand.” It was very difficult though to keep my promise as exam formats were strange and even the mathematical terms they were using were different to what I was familiar with. I sometimes spent entire classes trying to understand what the colloquialisms meant. History and social studies were also difficult for me.

I think it’s true that studying is more difficult than manual labor. I hated myself for wanting to give up – for coming all this way, crossing the river into China, and still failing to take advantage of my new opportunities. So I started studying again, and I would not sleep until after 2am each night after that. My head hurt and I was having nosebleeds every couple of days, but nevertheless, I dove headfirst back into my studies.
– Getting along with South Korean classmates
I remember one time when I went with my friends to see the movie Northern Limit Line (about the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong) after we finished our exams. In the movie, North Korean ships cross the maritime border and attack South Korean ships. As soon as we got out of the movie, I apologized to my friends (for the actions of the North Koreans). But they told me that I didn’t have to apologize and that they really liked hanging out and getting to know me better. I was really moved.
– Future plans
I am now studying with the hope of attending Seoul National University. South Korean society is one in which anyone can achieve their dreams if they work hard enough. If I do particularly well, I may be able to receive a scholarship from a defector-focused organization like the Korea Hana Foundation. They, along with the Ministry of Unification and the British Embassy, also offer special English training in Korea and even in the UK.

It’s important to recognize how society has helped me, and to remain thankful. And I think it’s better to try your hardest than to aim for first place. True integration begins when we are able to overcome our fear of discrimination.