COVID-19 completely changed the fate of Eun-hye (pseudonym), a North Korean defector in her 30s who was living quietly as the wife of a Chinese man in a small village in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.
In early 2021, when strict movement control measures were implemented by Chinese authorities under the pretext of epidemic prevention, Eun-hye, who was pregnant, contracted COVID-19.
At a time when even local Chinese found it difficult to move around, Eun-hye, who was an illegal resident, could not think of going to the hospital. Thus, she had to endure the pain alone without receiving any treatment.
As time passed, her COVID-19 symptoms worsened with no signs of improvement. Amid all of this, Eun-hye also experienced the pain of miscarriage.
Although it was beyond Eun-hye’s control, the Chinese man and his family started blaming her for the miscarriage. Already struggling physically and emotionally, Eun-hye faced all kinds of mistreatment and contempt from the Chinese man and his family.
She asked herself: “Is this path I chose (defecting from North Korea) truly wrong?”
Eun-hye sank deeper into despair. She spent her days in tears, feeling lost and frustrated about how to continue her life. She missed her family in North Korea terribly, but she did not have the courage to return to North Korea to live under oppression, surveillance, and indoctrination.
An attempt at finding freedom ends in tragedy
The following year, in 2022, Eun-hye happened to hear about a secret organization that helps North Korean defectors go to South Korea. She decided to pin her last hope on going to South Korea and, with difficulty, managed to contact the organization. Thus, Eun-hye attempted an escape to break free from her life of despair in China.
However, she was arrested during the escape attempt. Eun-hye ended up in a Chinese prison for attempting to go to South Korea and was classified as a subject for forced repatriation. She was sent back to North Korea last year. Her last hope for a better life was shattered.
After being repatriated, Eun-hye was temporarily detained in a Ministry of State Security holding center, where she suffered from continuous abuse, including torture and beatings. Her weight dropped dramatically, and she eventually suffered from malnutrition, soon passing away in the holding center.
Even now, there are North Korean female defectors in China who are living in hiding without legal status, dreaming of a new life in South Korea. However, the huge barrier of forced repatriation blocks their path. What could be the way to break down this barrier so that the dreams of these North Korean female defectors can become a reality?
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.
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