Recalling the Past While Moving Forward: Life After North Korea

In an interview, Eunju Kim, Gwang Seong Jung, Se Jun Park, North Korean student defectors, talked about their life in and defection from North Korea. Kim said that something distinct separates North Koreans from South Koreans. The culture of gathering and spending time together is something that she thinks many defectors miss once they are in South Korea. Jung said that she came into contact with Korean culture when she was over at a friend's house and watched a South Korean drama. She started asking her friends, and little by little she became immersed in South Korean culture. Park said she escaped from North Korea in 2002. Going to the North Korea of today is like taking a time machine to the past, and that makes her a little frustrated. Park believed that as defectors, they know the reality, and they know how terrible it is in North Korea. They thought that they should take the initiative to inform people and raise awareness.