The number of North Korean defectors in South Korea is expected to top 30-thousand next
month.
The growing number even had President Park Geun-hye refer to these defectors as a "test
bed for unification."
How have they been settling in the South, and what difficulties do they face?
South Korea paving the way for a soon to come unification of the two Koreas.
Our News Feature tonight with Oh Jung-hee.
The play "Memories of Jagang-do Province" illustrates the difficulties faced by North
Korean defectors working as construction site workers and house maids in the South.
[People here stare at me and talk about me once I tell them I'm a North Korean.
So I never tell them I'm from the North ]
"In this piece, we wanted to show what North Koreans experience when settling in South
Korea... and help people from the two Koreas better understand each other and overcome
prejudice."
Since the mid-1990s, increasing numbers of North Koreans have defected to the South due
to the communist state's economic difficulties.
Next month, the total number of defectors is expected to top 30-thousand.
"But beyond the numbers, how are North Korean defectors adapting to life in the South?
To find that out, I'm here at a restaurant in Chungcheongnam-do province, so come on
in with me."
Greeting customers and cooking her best-loved dishes,...
this is Jang Yu-bin, who came to South Korea in 2009.
She's become a recognized chef here, earning several certifications and participating in
global cooking competitions.
It was a tough journey for her, of course -- moving from one restaurant to another,...
and sometimes feeling fundamentally different from the people around her.
But she says she's thankful for what she can do here -- the outcome of settling in the
South, she says, is what the defectors themselves make it.
"What's great about living here is I can do whatever I want to do.
People from the North are usually very conscious of the fact they're North Koreans, but that
really doesn't help.
They shouldn't be discouraged, and they need to accept reality.
Adapting to life in the South is not something others can do for you.
You have to do it yourself."
Two women dressed in red are standing at the center of Seoul's crowded Myeongdong shopping
district.
One of them is Jang Mun-hye, a translator and guide for Chinese tourists.
["Right now, we're here.
You should go that direction."]
["Turn right at the second entrance."]
Starting a whole new life in the South was indeed daunting,... but with her Chinese language
certificate, she's been working as a translating guide for three years.
She says it couldn't have been done without the support of her company and the people
around her.
"I'm still very grateful to my company.
I'm sure I wasn't the perfect person for the job but they had no prejudice against me,
which was actually quite important for me setting here.
Trust in local companies and government policies together play a big role in helping North
Korean defectors settle down well."
But not all North Koreans make successful landings in the South like these two.
Some suffer from severe discrimination by locals,... and others take low-paying jobs
when they find their career in the North doesn't transfer.
They say that to settle successfully they need the help of South Koreans.
"North Koreans should be proactive in carving out their lives here.
But the government should look at the specifics of the defectors' situations and provide customized
support in terms of employment, health and finding information.
Society, too, needs to lessen its distance from them."
Recently, South Korean President Park Geun-hye vowed to support them with all necessary measures.
She said defectors can be seen as symbols of unification being realized,... as well
as an important human resource to help integrate the people of the two Koreas.
But... are the country and the people ready?
"The Hana Center's education programs, which every North Korean defector has to complete,
can't satisfy everyone because they all have different backgrounds.
So, it's important to listen to their demands and reflect those in the programs.
Of course, South Koreans will also have to be able to embrace their new compatriots."
The settling of North Koreans in the South is the beginning of harmonization between
the two peoples.
The changes ahead may require Koreans in the South and North to open up their hearts,...
and the government will have to back them up with policies of substantive support.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.