From North to South: The dangerous journey of North Korean defectors
North Korean defectors escape a harsh authoritarian regime by undertaking dangerous and lengthy journeys through East Asia, as direct passage across the Korean Demilitarized Zone is nearly impossible. Countries such as China, Laos, and Myanmar routinely repatriate defectors, putting them at risk of imprisonment, torture, or execution. Thailand, however, has become a safer and more desirable transit country due to unofficial arrangements that allow defectors to eventually reach South Korea and obtain citizenship. Once in South Korea, many face significant challenges in adapting to a new society, including cultural differences, economic hardship, and social stigma.
North Korean Defectors - are Koreans who have fled North Korea seeking asylum in South Korea or other nations.Since 1998, more than 34,000 North Korean defectors have made the deadly and dangerous journey out of Kim Il-sung's political regime to a more certain future in South Korea. The latter recognizes North Koreans as its nationals and, therefore, grants citizenship to all those defectors who enter South Korea.
The two countries share a border known as the"Korean Demilitarized Zone." However, as the most militarized border in the world with more than a million soldiers on both sides, barbed wire, and a million active mines, crossing it represents a completely impossible challenge. Over the years, this endeavor has claimed the lives of hundreds of individuals who have died in tense circumstances.
For this reason, fleeing the dictatorial regime continued by Kim Jong-Un is not only a dangerous task but also involves going through situations of physical and psychological suffering that can end with death. Due to the limited options that North Korean citizens have to reach South Korea, they must travel a fairly complicated migratory path through neighboring countries such as China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The migration path of defectors from North Korea is unique in that, due to the heavily militarized zone that divides the two Koreas, it is not possible to cross directly from north to south. Instead, the defectors are forced to undertake a long and dangerous journey through several East Asian countries in order to finally reach South Korea. This characteristic migratory journey is marked by constant risk, clandestinity, and the hope of achieving freedom.
Crossing the countries of East Asia
Since 2018, North Korea, under Kim Jong-un's regime, has intensified its global diplomatic campaign, especially in relation to regional powers and strategic actors. Although Pyongyang has maintained ties with several Central and East Asian socialist countries, it has sought to reaffirm some of these relations. This improvement in diplomatic relations not only translates into economic or strategic agreements, but also into tacit cooperation on migration issues that are reflected in the current position of Asian countries regarding the detention and deportation of defectors to North Korea.
Indeed, North Korean law criminalizes attempts by nationals to flee the country or leave the country without official permission. According to the Article 62 of the 2004 North Korean Penal Code, those who cross the border illegally for economic reasons receive a maximum of two years of hard labour, while five years of hard labour is the minimum sentence for those who defect for political reasons. Political and religious defectors routinely face additional punishments, including prison terms, torture, and sometimes execution.
It is for this reason that several countries in Asia continue to cooperate with the North Korean government and continue to detain, deport, and criminalize defectors, violating the principle of "non-refoulement" established in the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1957 Protocol. In fact, some countries, like China, forcibly repatriate many defectors, based on the idea that North Korean defectors are mere economic migrants. In fact, the history of the repatriation policy of both countries dates back to 1964 with the signing of the agreement "Mutual Cooperation Protocol for the Work of Maintaining National Security and Social Order and the Border Areas," which recognizes the mutual cooperation of each state to prevent illegal border crossings, including spies, special agents, saboteurs, conspirators, and criminals escaping across the border. This agreement has been in place since 1964, and China strictly demands the return of any North Korean to the DPRK.
Similarly, neighboring countries such as Myanmar and Laos repatriate North Koreans, making Thailand a more attractive and safer option for defectors. Due to its more tolerant policy and the unofficial agreements established by the Thai and South Korean authorities, Thailand arrests the defectors and prosecutes them for entering the country illegally. However, rather than being sent back to North Korea, they are placed in detention centers and subsequently deported to South Korea, where they are granted citizenship and legal protection.
Indeed, between 2006 and 2011, most North Korean defectors who managed to reach South Korea did so through Thailand (Figure 1), demonstrating that Thailand has become one of the most viable and safe routes for those seeking to escape the North Korean regime and reach asylum in South Korean territory. Since 2011, Thai authorities have stopped releasing figures on the number of North Korean defectors arrested and later deported to South Korea. This measure was taken for diplomatic and security reasons, aiming to avoid tensions with North Korea and to maintain a low profile regarding Thailand’s role in this sensitive migration corridor.
Source: Yoshifumi Tamada. Thailand and the North Korean Defectors, Roles Review Vol.5.
Asylum in South Korea: the challenges of adaptation for North Koreans
The adaptation of North Koreans in South Korea has proved to be a major challenge for most defectors. Although the South Korean government continues to support these individuals in terms of housing, medical care, education, and training to adapt to their new life, many face significant difficulties related to discrimination, social stigma, cultural differences, and economic pressure. These challenges hinder their full integration into South Korean society and can lead to feelings of isolation, frustration, and, in some cases, even a desire to leave South Korea.
As explained by academic and activist Song Young-Chae, "When they were in the North, these people never thought for themselves and simply did as the state ordered them to do. Now they are free and they have choices, they can travel, they can speak freely. It's all very confusing for many of them." North Korean defectors frequently suffer from psychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as they experience a significant socio-cultural shock in South Korea. Indeed, although Korea was split in half only 80 years ago, the diverging paths taken by the two countries have resulted in two different societies despite their common cultural heritage. This reality is reflected by the difficulty of North Korean defectors in understanding the Korean language in South Korea, which has developed rapidly under exposure to foreign cultures and technology. Finally, these culture-related barriers in adapting to life in South Korea are compounded by economic factors such as lack of skills and knowledge necessary in an industrialized and competitive society.
A study conducted by the Korea Hana Foundation found that 17% of 3,000 defectors who arrived in South Korea have experienced some type of discrimination in the last 12 months of their stay in the neighboring country. This alarming figure indicates that the difficulties faced by deserters persist beyond their arrival at their country of destination, continuing into the integration process, where they must confront social, cultural, and economic barriers that hinder their adaptation. Consequently, while North Korean defectors seek refuge from the pervasive, nefarious controlling and monitoring of the North Korean regime, their hopes for happiness and normality in South Korea often end up tainted by ostracization and discrimination.
For this reason, Jung In-Sung, the president of the Korea Hana Foundation, believes that to facilitate the adaptation of defectors in South Korea, it is essential to focus on education, allowing defectors to go to university after their arrival in the host country.
Indeed, for North Korean defectors, education can be a valuable tool for integration upon arriving in South Korea, as it allows them to bridge knowledge gaps and acquire the necessary skills to adapt to a highly competitive and technologically advanced society. One particularly important aspect is education in democratic values, since many defectors come from an authoritarian system where they have not been exposed to principles such as freedom of expression, human rights, civic participation, or equality before the law. Through the South Korean educational system, they can better understand how a democratic society functions, learn to express their opinions freely and respectfully, participate in decisions that affect their lives, and adapt to a more horizontal social structure. This not only facilitates their social and cultural integration but also strengthens their autonomy and confidence in a completely new environment.
Before they are allowed to enter society, all defectors arriving in South Korea must spend three months at Hanawon, which is a school that teaches assimilation. The North Korean defectors learn history and culture, but also vocational skills and basic training in blue-collar work to help them secure employment. They also train with everyday tasks, such as buying groceries, for instance. Many did not experience these day-to-day tasks in impoverished North Korea.
Despite the many challenges that North Korean defectors face upon resettlement in South Korea, there are clear signs of hope and progress. Education emerges as a powerful catalyst for change, offering defectors not only the tools to navigate a new society but also the opportunity to reshape their identity and reclaim their future.