This picture taken from Paju on July 30, 2024 shows a North Korean flag fluttering in the wind at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea. A North Korean defector to the South was apprehended after he crashed a stolen bus near the border in a failed bid to return to his isolated homeland, police told AFP on Oct. 2. AFP-Yonhap

A North Korean defector in his 30s recently attempted to cross the heavily-fortified border between North and South Korea. The man, who fled to South Korea in 2011, stole a bus to drive across the Tongil Bridge in Paju, located south of the heavily fortified demilitarized zone (DMZ). Investigators revealed that he had been working as a construction worker in the South and was feeling homesick.

Since the division of the two Koreas, over 34,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea. Their stories of adaptation and struggles have emerged periodically, highlighting both their successful adjustments and the challenges they face in their new lives.

However, attempts to return to North Korea continue to draw attention. The Ministry of Unification reported that approximately 30 North Korean defectors returned to the North between 2012 and 2022. Defector groups believe that the actual number, including unofficial cases, may be higher.

North Korean defectors, despite sharing a common language, have noted that the differences in the education system — particularly the emphasis on learning English — pose significant challenges to completing higher education. However, over the years, many have persevered and successfully pursued their "Korean dream," entering government service, working in journalism, and running their own businesses. In the early years after their defection, government assistance provided some support to help them adjust.

Under the North Korean Defectors Protection and Settlement Support Act, established in 1997, North Korean defectors receive institutional assistance that includes settlement funds of approximately 10 million won, special college admissions, tuition support, and career training. Regarding South Korea's compulsory military service, defectors can choose to enter the military if they volunteer.

The narrative takes different directions for the second generation of North Korean defectors, specifically for children born in North Korea versus those born in third countries, primarily China. The North Korean defectors protection law does not extend to the latter as of now.

A recent seminar on the children of North Korean defectors highlighted that approximately 70 percent of the North Korean defectors who have settled in South Korea are women. The seminar held on Monday at the National Assembly's library in Yeouido, Seoul, was co-hosted by the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights and Rep. Park Choong-kwon of the ruling People Power Party. Also, the experts emphasized the urgent need for educational assistance, particularly in learning the Korean language, for children born in third countries who now live in South Korea with their North Korean defector mothers. Their adjustment challenges may run deeper, as they often speak Chinese, having been born to North Korean defector mothers in a third country.

Most of these children are brought to South Korea by their mothers, who have settled here after fleeing North Korea. These mothers risked their lives to escape, crossing the border into China. Since China does not recognize North Korean defectors as refugees, their unstable legal status exposes them to various human rights violations, including human trafficking. However, the North Korean Defectors Protection and Settlement Support Act does not extend to their children born in third countries. For the boys, this is particularly concerning, as all able-bodied Korean males are required to complete compulsory military service lasting 18 to 21 months.

At the seminar, Rep. Park reported that there were 1,769 students from North Korean defector households enrolled in South Korean elementary, middle and high schools as of April 2023. Notably, more than 70 percent of these students — 1,257 — were born in a third country. These figures were also referenced by Kang Dong-wan, a political science professor at Dong-A University in Busan, and former Brigadier General of the South Korean Navy Cha Dong-gil, both of whom were speakers at the seminar, along with officials from the Citizens' Alliance.

Rep. Park, a first-term legislator and North Korean defector, is 38 years old and studied at what is now known as the Kim Jong-un National Defense University. After defecting in 2009, he earned his Ph.D. from Seoul National University. He has been leading efforts to revise the North Korean Defectors Protection and Settlement Support Act to include specific educational assistance for North Korean defector children born in third countries. The Ministry of Unification is also pursuing a similar revision to facilitate educational support for these children and young adults.

Despite these efforts, the reality is that military service looms regardless of Korean proficiency for these children born mainly in China.

"They make up about 60 percent of the students at our school," said Kim Ki-chan, principal of Haesol Career Preparatory School.

Teachers and students from the Great Vision School and the Haesol Career Preparatory School, alternative schools for North Korean defectors, talk about adjusting to life in South Korea, citing the top challenge as learning the Korean language. Korea Times photo by Kim Ji-soo

Shin and Yoon, two 20-year-old individuals who recently arrived in South Korea from China, face the urgent challenge of learning the Korean language as they prepare to enter the military. To comprehend commands and orders, they must accelerate their language acquisition. At the seminar, they spoke through their teacher in Chinese, highlighting their experiences alongside their principal and teachers from the Great Vision School in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. This school, along with others, is specifically designed to support North Korean defector students.

"I don't find the prospect of having to serve uncomfortable except for the language," said Shin who is now a student at Haesol Career Preparatory School. Yoon reiterated a similar stance. Shin said that he believes that military service will enable him to find a stable job in Korea, which his mother also wants. For Yoon, completing military service may pave the way for a more stable life in Korea, where he aspires to travel.

"I think having our students attend seminars like today helps. Our school has a dorm located in Chuncheon, so these students do not have much exposure to Korean society and the seminars can serve as also a glimpse into Korean society and culture," said Song, a

n administrator and teacher at Haesol.

Both Haesol Career Preparatory School and Great Vision School regularly invite their alumni, whether currently serving or having completed military service, to spend time with students. This initiative aims to alleviate any intimidation or overwhelm the students might feel about serving in the Korean military.

As the speakers at the seminar noted, learning the Korean language poses a significant challenge for newly arrived North Korean defectors born in third countries. Principal Kim Young-mi of Great Vision School emphasized the importance of Korean language proficiency and shared that she invests considerable time and effort in working with the Military Manpower Administration to ensure her students have the opportunity to learn Korean before their military service. During the seminar, she made a strong appeal for additional support from teachers to help Shin and Yoon improve their Korean language skills prior to enlisting.

In commemorating the first North Korean Defectors' Day on July 14 this year, President Yoon Suk Yeol emphasized the importance of institutionalizing support for the upbringing and education of children born in North Korea, in third countries, or domestically in South Korea.