Kim Ji-soon, whose name was changed at her request, is a North Korean defector in her 40s who resides in the Gwanak district of Seoul. She had recently completed her program at the Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees in Hanawon when a call from a welfare worker at her local Hana Center left her feeling overcome with emotion.
At Hanawon, Kim had passed the written examination section in her mock test for a driver’s license. But she was at a loss about how she would ever complete the technical or practical sections of the test given that drivers’ training course fees could cost up to KRW 1 million (around USD 815). For Kim, a newcomer to South Korean society, this sum was an enormous obstacle.
At the same time, Kim knew that she could not give up. A driver’s license would be crucial to her future. Unfortunately, Kim had no friends or family to rely on. She had been in despair before she finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel—in the form of a welfare worker’s phone call.
Several days after the call, Kim headed to Yongin, an area south of Seoul. She disembarked at Singal Station and walked towards the Yongin Driver’s License Examination Office. There was an instructor waiting for her, and Kim was able to register for her driving courses — without having to pay a fee.
In 2017, the Yongin Driver’s License Examination Office partnered with the East Seoul, East Gyeonggi and South Gyeonggi Hana Centers. The office for disabled test-takers also oversees the fee-exempt driver’s license program for those who qualify for South Korea’s National Basic Livelihood Security System, which includes North Korean defectors. Around 80 defectors have received their licenses through this program.
Kim Ji-soon became a direct beneficiary through the support of the Yongin Driver’s License Examination Office, and soon found herself in the driver’s seat.
Kim was amazed by the classes. “At first I couldn’t believe that the car that I was driving was actually moving,” said Kim.
The drivers’ training classes sparked new aspirations. “I want to become a social welfare worker and help people—senior citizens living on their own, disabled individuals—like they’re my own family. I think getting a driver’s license is an important step in achieving these goals,” Kim told Daily NK.
“Another goal I have is to become an ordinary, tax-paying South Korean citizen,” said Kim. “After receiving help from this program, I realized that I also wanted to devote myself to helping the less fortunate.”
South Korea’s Road Traffic Authority operates a total of eight support centers for disabled test-takers. Of these eight centers, only the Yongin Driver’s License Examination Office issues fee exemptions for defectors hoping to receive their licenses, on condition that they produce a letter of recommendation from one of the Hana Center branches in the Seoul metropolitan area.
*Translated by Violet Kim and edited by Sabrine Donohoe
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