2019-10-01_Australian_Womens_Weekly_NZ

66 The Australian Women’s Weekly|OCTOBER 2019

brutalregimesofKimJong-ilandhis
son,KimJong-un.
ThefirstwaveofSouthKoreans
movedtoLondonin the1960s,butit
wasnotuntilNorthKoreawasravaged
byterriblefaminein 1998thatNew
Maldenbegantoseethefirstescapees
fromtheDemocraticPeople’sRepublic
ofKorea(DPRK),stillrecognised
todayasoneofthemostrepressive
andsecretivenationsin theworld.
JihyunPark,51,riskedlifeandlimb

• literally– toescapethehorrorofher
  homeland.It is difficult,shesays,to make
  peopleunderstanddaytodaylifein
  NorthKorea.
  “Itis nothinglikewhatWesterners
  know.Youaskaboutshopping,free
  timeorto pickupchildrenfromschool


• NorthKoreais a totallydifferent
  world.Thiscountryhasnofreedom
  ofspeech,freedomofmovement,
  genderequality,freedomofreligionor
  information.Forwomenin NorthKorea,
  theyhaveoneimportantmission–
  pushingthewheelofrevolution.”
  Jihyunwasworkingasa school
  teacherwhenherfatherurgedher
  toleave.Thestoryofhertwoescapes
  is gruelling.Thefirsttime,in 1998,
  shethoughtshewasescapingto a
  well-paidjobin China,onlytobe
  soldbytraffickersandmarriedagainst
  herwilltoanalcoholicChinese
  farmer,laterbearinghima son.
  WhenChineseauthoritiesfound
  her,shewasforcedtoleaveherlittle
  boyandwasrepatriatedtoNorth
  Koreaintoa re-educationcamp.
  There,sheenduredviciousbeatings
  andsuffereda legwoundthatstill
  causeshertowalkwitha limp.On
  hersecondescape,shegotluckier.
  Sheslippedoutwiththehelpofa
  broker,foundherson,andeventually
  madeherwaytotheUK.
  Jihyunhascourageouslyagreedto
  speakwithTheAustralianWomen’s
  Weeklybutmanyofhercompatriots
  willnot.
  HamishMacdonaldheadsupthe
  LondonofficeoftheKoreaRisk
  Group,aninformation,policyand
  analysisfirmspecialisingin issues
  relatedtoNorthKorea.Heexplains
  thatmanyescapeesstilllivein fear.
  “In North Korea, the expression of

individualopinionis notallowed,and

defectorsareoftentraumatisedand

fearfulofreprisalsagainstfamilyand

thoseleftbehind.Manyfindit difficult

tospeakoutaboutwhattheyhave

beenthrough,”hesays.“Butthosewho

leavearea criticalsourceof information

totheworldoutside.”

Stateoffear

JihyunandI meetat a NorthKorean

cookeryclasstaughtbyfemale

defectorsandorganisedbyConnect:

NorthKorea,a UK-basedcharity

thathelpspoliticalrefugeesintegrate.

Inviteesareprovidedwithanaddress

at theverylastminute,andthe

womendemonstratingthedishes

requestanonymity,askingustorefrain

fromusingtheirrealnamesor

showingtheirfacesin photographs.

Shyandclearly

unusedtotaking

thespotlight,the

womenwork

quietly,rarely

raisingtheireyes

fromtheirtasks.

Jihyun,bycontrast,

is a dynamo

ofenergyand

enthusiasmand

chit-chatsasshe

expertlychops

vegetables,

occasionally

translating difficult

wordsforherfriendsandgivingthem

gentleencouragement.

Asthewomenfrywafer-thin

omelettes,simmervegetablesin

fragrantbrothandaddtheubiquitous

pickledcabbage,kimchi,theyobserve

thattheystillfindit difficulttobelieve

theyhavesomuchfood– andin such

variety.Jihyunsaysfamilymealsare

stilloneofthegreatestjoysofliving

in hernewcountry.

InNorthKorea,thebattleto

secureenoughfoodfortheirfamilies

dominatedthesewomen’slives.While

thestatestilldistributessomestaples,

suchasrice,rationshavedropped

steadilysincethe1994-98famine,

forcingmosttoekeouta living

growing,foragingormakingproduce,

andsellingandbarteringin impromptu

markets. Staples such as soy sauce, salt