North Korean fashion, drums, and jubilation: Here’s how South Koreans celebrated the first-ever Defectors’ Day

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — In the shadow of what looks like Seoul’s colossal chrome space station, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, hundreds of defectors from North Korea gathered for lively celebrations on Sunday marking the first nationwide North Korean Defectors’ Day.

The inaugural event, declared by the government to be held each July 14, recognizes approximately 34,000 North Koreans who escaped the authoritarian grip of Pyongyang to resettle in the South – leaving behind legacies of fear, deep familial ties, and days devoted to a repressive regime often seen as frozen in time.

The joy of freedom marked the celebration on Sunday, the thunderous tempo from massive drums declaring a spirited independence from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The echoes of well-known North Korean songs celebrating friendship spilled into nearby neighborhoods, as families filled booths serving both North and South Korean treats such as the deep-fried confection yakgwa, and fruit punch, or hwachae.

The lively celebrations in the heart of South Korea are particularly significant given the difficulties defectors often face once they arrive – with many struggling to assimilate, and a rare few even risking their lives to return to the hermit nation. Among the problems they face are financial hardship, discrimination and deep stigma among South Koreans against defectors.

Activists and authorities hope this new annual celebration will help to change that.

“This is something that we all have to celebrate,” said Park Daehyeon, a defector who fled North Korea in 2006 and has since founded the non-profit organization Woorion to help other defectors resettling in the South.

Defectors flee the North and come to the South “to be very meaningful to society, and also contribute to this South Korean society, and also (are) supporting their friends and family left behind in North Korea,” he added.

“So, this is a date (where) we all have to embrace and support each other, recognize each other, and appreciate the diversities and different experiences we have.”

The perilous journey south

Since the Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953, North and South Korea have been separated by an almost impenetrable border preventing anyone from crossing to the other side.

Over subsequent decades, South Korea has modernized, becoming one of the world’s richest and most technologically developed countries. Meanwhile, North Korea has become increasingly isolated, with the vast majority of citizens subject to widespread poverty and limited basic freedoms.

Over the years, thousands of defectors have fled – often enlisting brokers who arrange their transport and route across the tight borders, traveling through China and other parts of Asia before arriving in Seoul and other final destinations.

It’s a dangerous journey. Many North Korean women are trafficked and sexually exploited in China, where a gender imbalance has created a black market for brides. And there are few ways out for these victims: China considers North Korean refugees to be economic migrants, and forcibly deports them back – where, as alleged defectors, they face imprisonment, possible torture or worse, activists say.

Even those who safely make it to South Korea face an uphill battle – especially in finding jobs and earning a living, even with vocational training and financial support from the government. Some 6.1% of defectors were unemployed in 2022, more than double the national rate, according to government figures.

Then there’s the culture shock – and sometimes, hostility from South Koreans.

On news stories online, “You can find people saying, ‘Hey, you need to go back to where you come from,’” said Park, the Woorion founder.

“I wish society is more open (to) new defectors. Maybe there (are) many thousands of thousands of North Korean defectors who want to come to (South) Korea and have a prosperous life. If the society doesn’t (welcome) them … they are kind of lost.”

At the celebration on Sunday, Kwon Ji-hwan, who fled North Korea in 2015, did free drawings for visitors and told CNN he was “very grateful” for the event.

“[If I were still in North Korea] I think I would have been having a difficult life working as a laborer, perhaps at a construction site,” he said. “But since coming to South Korea, I can live freely while drawing what I like, so that’s what makes me happiest.”

However, he said, he wished new arrivals could receive more comprehensive education so they become self-sufficient rather than relying on government benefits.

On Sunday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol invited a group of defectors to the Blue House, the former presidential residence, where he offered encouragement and support to the community.

“We express our respect and applause to the 34,000 North Korean defectors who are pioneering new lives every day (in South Korea), he said. “All of you are living witnesses of the noble journey toward freedom.”

Yoon promised to increase resettlement funds for defectors, and to incentivize government agencies and state-run companies to hire more defectors by offering tax benefits.

Mixed welcome

Other defectors attending the festival on Sunday had mixed reactions – some appreciating the gesture, others reminiscing about their home across the heavily militarized border, and others yet unsure if the event would truly serve to unify people.

One defector, who CNN is not naming for their privacy and safety, ate rice cakes at a booth at the Seoul festival. They “tasted like what I used to have in my hometown,” she said. “It’s been 10 years since I came to South Korea, but I still miss the taste of my hometown and have a hard time getting used to the South Korean-style food.”

She worried that the annual Defectors’ Day created a “division between us and South Koreans and it felt like we were not being accepted as fellow Koreans.” However, she added, she understood the government’s intentions, and hoped it would become “an opportunity for harmony and understanding each other.”

One attendee, Han Bong-hee, told CNN that she wasn’t sure if she would still be alive had she stayed in North Korea. Since arriving in the South 24 years ago, she now practices as a traditional medicine doctor.

“I am very satisfied with my life now because I came to South Korea, found a job, and am living happily while enjoying freedom,” she said.

Another female defector who left North Korea in 2016 expressed gratitude for the celebration. “I didn’t know that a day like Defectors’ Day would happen, but now that it has been established, I feel like I have to work harder,” she said. “I want to live and work harder knowing that there are people in the government who are trying to help us.”

There are many success stories of defectors who have become entrepreneurs, academics and professionals, said Park, the Woorion CEO. He pointed to himself as an example, saying he’d struggled when he was younger – but “now I am able to speak to foreigners and (am) experiencing different cultures and traveling all over the world.”

“This is something that we all North Korean defectors want, and that 25 million North Korean people want,” he added. “This is freedom we are enjoying, and this must be given to everybody.”

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