Countless mines have been laid on the 38th parallel between the two Koreas, one of the most dangerous military exclusion zones in the world, on a demarcation line about 4 kilometers wide and 248 kilometers long. However, every year, countless "North Korean defectors" risk their lives to cross the country, why are they so determined?What are their chances of success?
North Korean defectors under special circumstances.
"North Korean defector" refers to a person who has left the North, and in this case a person on the Korean Peninsula who left North Korea for South Korea. North and South Korea are separated by a thin line, but there are huge differences in the economic development of the two countries. Just as a few decades ago, countless people left their poor homeland and smuggled to the affluent United States.
But North Korean defectors face a more serious challenge, as there are complex historical entanglements between North and South Korea. South Korea and North Korea used to be one country, but under the conspiracy and intervention of the United States, it became two countries. Both countries claim sovereignty over the Korean Peninsula, and the 38th parallel becomes a moat that cuts off all communication between the two countries.
Growing economic disparities.
After the Korean War, in the face of blockade and subversion by Western countries led by the United States, the DPRK could only implement a policy of seclusion and seclusion, and all exchanges with the outside world were cut off. This has ensured the stability of the country, but it has also put the North Korean economy in a difficult position. The economic gap between North and South Korea has widened for decades.
Despite North Korea's policy of seclusion, gossip still spreads, and many people hear about South Korea's prosperity and have the idea of leaving North Korea for South Korea. North Korean defectors have different motives, ranging from hopelessness to criminal escape, to the pursuit of South Korea's prosperity.
Attitudes towards North Korean defectors in different countries.
North Korea sees defectors as traitors and faces severe penalties if caught. In North Korea, defectors with higher status may be punished more severely, even with their families. South Korea, for its part, treats them as refugees and offers aid, but that is also largely part of a propaganda campaign to attack North Korea's ideology.
Experienced the challenges of arriving in Korea with hardships.
In the 90s of the last century, North Korea suffered a natural disaster, which caused a large-scale reduction in grain production and a reduction in aid, resulting in poverty among the people. In this case, the defectors reached their peak and fled to South Korea by various means, some through third countries, others directly through the 38th parallel.
Secret passage for North Korean defectors.
There are four ways to cross the 38th parallel, one of which is through a third country, and some people choose to smuggle despite the difficulty of applying for a passport. Black intermediaries offer help, but the fees are high and unaffordable for poor North Koreans. Self-smuggling is riskier and can lead to severe penalties if discovered.
The second way is to get to South Korea through tunnels, which North Korea has dug below the 38th parallel for sending spies. This is not available to the general population and is limited to specific people.
The third way is to cross the 38th parallel directly, which has a certain risk, but some soldiers may "open the net" and let the crossing. However, traversing a four-kilometre-wide minefield remains a huge challenge that requires caution.
A secret passage to the inter-Korean border.
In July 2020, South Korea arrested a North Korean defector who had returned to North Korea and discovered a "secret passage" beyond the 38th parallel between South Korea and North Korea, which was repeatedly crossed. The North Korean defector, Kim, 24, fled from Kaesong, North Korea, to South Korea in 2017.
Kim digs medicinal herbs near Kaesong for a living, but his livelihood suffers due to the deterioration of relations between the two Koreas. To escape his predicament, he swam down the Han River to South Korea, where he was shielded by floating objects until he was spotted by an infrared sensing system.
The reason for fleeing back to North Korea.
However, many North Korean defectors face an unsatisfactory life in South Korea. Due to the social differences between the two countries, it is difficult for them to adapt to life in South Korea, and even if they find a job, they are at the bottom of the job. The accent has become a sign that is difficult to hide, and if it is found to be a North Korean defector, it will be subjected to all kinds of discrimination.
North Korean defectors are required to report their whereabouts regularly during the surveillance period in South Korea, and their employment and life are full of uncertainty. As a result, some have chosen to flee back to North Korea, and the defector issue may be resolved only after the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
Epilogue. The miracle of crossing the line of death for North Korean defectors on the 38th parallel between the two Koreas is shocking. Not only do they have to contend with landmines, power grids, forests, minefields, but also with the clash of political positions between the two countries. Although successful defectors like Kim eventually face the dilemma of not being accepted in South Korea. This special phenomenon makes people think deeply, and perhaps after the reunification of the Korean Peninsula, this period of history can come to an end.
The story behind crossing the 38th parallel between the two Koreas: the courage and challenges of North Korean defectors.
This insightful and truthful article sheds light on the extreme plight faced by North Korean defectors on the 38th parallel and their efforts to pursue freedom and prosperity. The "North Korean defectors" who risk their lives every year to cross minefields, power grids, and forests show an unparalleled courage, and they choose a nearly impossible path in pursuit of South Korea's prosperity and freedom, risking being blown up by landmines.
The economic disparities and historical entanglements between North and South Korea, described in the article, provide the background to the decision of the "North Korean defectors". While North Korea is implementing a policy of seclusion and seclusion, the people live in poverty and hardship, and the prosperity of South Korea has become their hope. This has led to different motivations for "North Korean defectors", some fleeing poverty, others fleeing crime, and others seeking a better life in South Korea.
The article's depiction of the differing attitudes of North Korean defectors in South Korea and North Korea shows the impact of political positions on these individuals. North Korea sees them as traitors, while South Korea sees them as refugees and offers assistance. However, South Korea's aid is also mixed with propaganda, with North Korean defectors recounting their "tragic experiences" on television to carry out ideological attacks on North Korea.
The variety of ways in which North Korean defectors choose to cross the line of death is astonishing, especially through the adventure of a third country or directly across the 38th parallel. These ways are fraught with danger, but for them, the desire for freedom and prosperity leads them to do whatever it takes.
The secret passage along the border between the two Koreas, as mentioned in the article, is even more fascinating, and the thrilling experience of Kim Kin, a North Korean defector arrested in July 2020, swimming across the Han River to South Korea is breathtaking. However, after escaping back to South Korea, he faced a new dilemma, and social differences, discrimination, and surveillance in South Korea forced him to consider fleeing back to North Korea.
The stories of North Korean defectors are deeply deplorable, as they pursue their freedom only to find that their new life is not what they wanted. In South Korea, they not only have to adapt to a completely new social system, but also have to endure discrimination and surveillance from others. This raises a thought-provoking question: Are freedom and prosperity really the same as happiness?
In the future, changes in inter-Korean relations and the reunification of the Korean Peninsula may become the key to resolving this issue. This article evokes our reflections on issues such as international relations, human rights, and social disparities, while also drawing more attention to the fate of North Korean defectors as a special group.
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