The Coalition for North Korean Women’s Rights: Part I (북한여성인권연합 제1부)

During last summer’s Ministry of Unification internship program, we interns visited a small local clothing factory where some of the North Korean women who recently defected have found work after getting adjusted to life in South Korea. While visiting the factory, we got a look around the workstation. There were a few stations set up for sewing with rows of sewing machines, large tables for cutting, and poles hanging with new coats for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. The organizers of the fieldtrip also told us a little more about the increasing number of women who have been defecting from North Korea. It was still difficult for me to keep up with the spoken Korean language, but, fortunately, they also supplied us with small books describing the women’s journeys from North to South Korea in both Korean and English. The small books, Journey for Survival: A Report on Female North Korean Refugees and Human Trafficking, were published by the Coalition for North Korean Women’s Rights explaining their humble origins and including a collection of testimonies from coalition members.

The Coalition for North Korean Women’s Rights was organized by former North Korean defector women in August 2006 to increase consciousness of women’s identity within the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea so that other individuals and organizations may help to empower the women who have defected and to raise awareness of the tragedies that have fallen upon many of the women while they lived in China. In the words of its slogan, the Coalition works to “protect defectors’ human rights, ensure their safe landing, and improve their quality of life” (Journey for Survival, 12). They host campaigns for the human rights of women and children who have managed to escape from North Korea but have yet to reach South Korea and remain scattered and isolated throughout East and Southeast Asia. 

From 2008 the Coalition has worked in tandem with defector organizations based in China who also seek to rescue such stranded families and individuals. After rescuing those who still battle to find refuge in South Korea, the Coalition endeavors to help defectors attain financial independence with the government’s support by establishing such enterprises as the small clothing factory we visited in Seoul. Furthermore, the Coalition aspires to educate defector leaders in preparation for life in a unified Korea. Much of this includes encouragement of the many women who form such a large portion of all defectors from North Korea to join in as leaders of a new generation for the Korean peninsula, which will include a new, much more vulnerable class of people who will need the understanding and compassion of their more advantaged brethren.

The Coalition’s publication, Journey for Survival, directs attention to the reality that most testimonies and accounts that have been publicized for the education of those less knowledgeable about North Korean affairs have revolved around the experiences of men and formerly upper-class women even though 70% of North Korean defectors are lower class women. Not enough attention has been given to those who are in most need of help from others. Moreover, having lived outside of the radar of the media’s attention for so long, the more under-privileged women are less accustomed to speaking about their experiences than defectors who had lived “more fortunate” lives like the former party members and scholars who had defected before famine and food shortage became a bigger problem in the 1990s as mentioned in one of my previous articles. The Coalition for North Korean Women’s Rights aims to give a voice to those who have suffered most profoundly under the weight of an unjust system.

Journey to Survival is a collection of direct interviews with North Korean women defectors. The introductory pages of Journey to Survival include information about the collection of interviews from the women of the coalition. Because the women are generally hesitant about sharing their information, the Coalition for North Korean Women’s Rights arranged for other defectors to share their stories with the other women before commencing any interviews so that the women would feel more comfortable about opening up. Developing trust with their interviewers, the women gave honest testimonies in response to the honesty with which they were treated and the confidentiality promised to them so as to protect family members and loved ones who may still live in North Korea. Most of the interviewees were born between the 1960s and 1970s because their age group formed the main breadwinners of the family who were most capable of long-distance travel and most likely to find jobs. The women have spoken about leaving North Korea, living and working in China, returning to North Korea having been caught by Chinese authorities or otherwise, and transitioning to life in South Korea. 

Please refer to the continuation of this story in my next article for more information about the members of the Coalition for North Korean Women’s Rights.

북한여성인권연합 제1부

작년에 통일부 인턴십을 하는 동안 우리는 작은 의류 공장을 방문할 기회가 있었다. 이 공장은 북한이탈주민 여성들이 한국에서 일자리를 구할 수 있는 곳이다. 우리는 공장을 방문했을 때 일하는 직원들도 만날 수 있었다. 재봉틀이 줄줄이 놓인 테이블도 많았고, 원단을 자르는 곳도 있었고, 다가오는 가을과 겨울에 팔릴 코트들도 많이 걸려 있었다. 그곳에서 우리는 늘어나는 여성탈북민에 대해 배우기도 했다. 나는 한국어를 다 알아듣지는 못했지만 다행히 우리는 영어로 번역된 책자를 받아서 볼 수 있었다. ‘생존을 위한 여행’이라는 이 책자는 북한여성인권연합의 역사와 그 여성들의 이야기들이 담겨있었다. 

북한여성인권연합은 2006년 8월에 탈북여성들이 만든 단체이다. 북한여성인권연합의 목표는 미흡한 북한에서의 여성인권과 탈북여성들이 겪는 중국에서의 고통을 국제사회에 알리는 것이다. 북한여성인권연합에 의하면 연합은 “탈북여성의 인권보호 및 정착, 생활의 질을 높이는데” 힘쓴다. 연합에서는 탈북은 했지만 한국에 아직 도착하지 못한 북한 여성과 아이들에 대한 캠페인도 개최한다. 

이 연합은 2008년부터 다른 여러 인권단체들과 연합하여 탈북민들을 위해 일해 왔다. 탈북민들이 한국으로 올 수 있게 돕는 일 뿐 아니라 앞서 소개한 의류공장과 같은 기업을 통해 탈북민들을 위한 일자리를 만드는 일도 한다. 또한 통일을 준비하여 탈북민들을 위한 교육과 훈련을 통해 리더들도 양성한다. 

‘생존을 위한 여행’은 하층계급의 탈북민 여성에 초점을 뒀다. 이 여성들은 많은 도움이 필요하지만 많은 주목을 못 받는 것이 사실이다. 또한 이 분들은 대중의 많은 관심을 받는 탈북민과는 다르게 관객 앞에서 증언하는 것에 익숙하지가 않다. 북한여성인권연합은 이러한 여성들이 자기들의 이야기를 많은 사람들에게 전할 수 있도록 돕는다. 

‘생존을 위한 여행’은 탈북민 여성들의 인터뷰 내용으로 구성된 책자다. 책자의 소개 글에는 연합의 여성들의 인터뷰 내용을 소개하는 글이 있다. 탈북 여성들은 대부분 자신들의 이야기를 남과 나누는 것을 꺼려함으로 각자의 인터뷰를 시작하기 전 모든 참여자가 한자리에 모여 다같이 나눔의 시간을 가질 수 있도록 하였다. 자신들에게 보여진 진실성을 통해 그들도 진실되게 인터뷰에 임했다. 그리고 북한에 남은 사랑하는 이들의 보호를 위해 신변 비밀유지를 통해 그들은 조금은 더 편하게 인터뷰를 할 수 있었다. 인터뷰를 한 대부분의 여성들은 1960년도에서 1970년도 사이에 태어났으며 가족을 위해 가장 노릇을 했다고 한다. 그들은 북한을 떠나는 과정, 중국에서 살았던 날들, 북한으로 북송 당했던 일, 그리고 한국에서의 적응과정에 대해 이야기 했다. 

이 이야기는 북한여성인권연합 제2부에서 계속 됩니다.