Escape from China: Former North Korean restaurant worker tells her story

Twelve North Korean restaurant workers and their manager arrive at Incheon International Airport on April 8, 2016. / Korea Times file

In April 2016, a week before the National Assembly elections, 12 North Korean restaurant workers and their manager escaped from China in what South Korean government officials called an "unprecedented mass defection." That was the beginning of the controversy, as North Korea and some human rights organizations in South Korea charged it was a "kidnapping" or fabricated for political reasons before the election. Last year, I interviewed one of the former restaurant workers. Specific information about her will be withheld to protect her identify. TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee translated her remarks from Korean to English, then we reviewed the text with her again to confirm accuracy.

By Casey Lartigue Jr.

Casey: The big question that so many have been asking: Did everyone want to escape?

A: It seems like a clear question, but the answer isn't clear. Not all employees working at the Chinese restaurant wanted to come to South Korea.

The context is that the work in China was tougher than we had expected. We had good situations in North Korea, so we were often openly wondering why we were working so hard; it was not as golden as it had been presented to us in North Korea. Therefore, most of us agreed to seek better working conditions in a different country.

We were not ignorant about the outside world. When I was in North Korea, I certainly knew about the possibility of escaping to South Korea, and from what I knew about the others, they did too. But we all had good lives in North Korea; why should we go to South Korea?

In discussing seeking better working conditions, about six or seven employees left. That group took taxis to the North Korean embassy to make it clear they were not participating in an escape.

In the other group, several knew about the plan to go to South Korea, but some had been told we would be moving to Malaysia to work. The ones who didn't know about the plans to escape to South Korea might not have agreed, they may have informed on the entire group or taken action like the other group that went to the North Korean embassy, so they weren't told everything.

We couldn't trust each other. It wasn't sure who might reveal what was going on.

Once we were in Malaysia, everyone finally realized what was going on, but they could not return to North Korea. In Malaysia, we had no time to go back to North Korea, because our tickets had already been booked to go to South Korea.

Casey: It is a simple question that probably also requires a long answer, but for those who are not familiar with North Korea and consequences for escaping: What seemed to be their main reasons for not wanting to return to North Korea?

A: When we arrived in Malaysia, the North Korean embassy in China already knew about our escape. The other group that had run away in China informed the North Korean embassy about it. However, our tickets for Korea were already booked and planned, so the North Korean government could not respond quickly. We were already on board, so it was too late for the North Korean government to stop us.

The South Korean media had already reported that we had arrived. It was so difficult to go back to North Korea even if we had wanted to go. Our families were already destroyed because of the news reports.

Casey: What do you think about the South Korean lawyers who insisted that most of the members of the group were forced or coerced into coming to South Korea?

A: I never met that group of lawyers. I don't know how they can claim that. I have heard about them in the news. They were part of the mobs visiting my home. They even tried to get information from the security guard in my building about me. The guard had no idea what they were talking about, so I had to move, change my information. I have cut contact with everyone from North Korea; I don't associate with other North Korean refugees. I heard that other North Korean refugees were trying to get information about me in order to sell it to agents in North Korea.

Those lawyers are saying we don't want to be here. We have been here long enough that there are no longer restrictions on us using our passports to travel abroad. So if we want to return, we could do so at any time. Now that I am free to leave, they may realize that there is no reason for them to speak for me.

Casey: Are the members of your group that escaped together in contact today?

A: No. We stay apart from each other; there was too much attention on us. Reporters were showing up at our homes, chasing us, pressuring and demanding that we submit to interviews. I have changed my name and phone number several times trying to evade them. Sometimes I feel like I have a lack of information about adjusting to life here because I have disconnected from the North Korean refugee community, but it is safer for me.

Casey: How are you doing today and what do you hope for in the future?

A: I miss my family so much. They have been destroyed because of this. Their status has been downgraded.

I am struggling here in many ways; it has been a real challenge. I am still finding my way here, finding my goals and what I can do with my future. I have tried many things here: going to school, working at different jobs. English has been a real challenge for me; I have lost jobs, struggled in school, taken a leave of absence because my English level is so low. I am disappointed because I failed all of my English classes; that is the reason I joined TNKR even though I have disconnected from everything else connected with North Korea and North Korean refugees. I hope to settle down here and get a stable job.

Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, was the 2017 winner of the "Social Contribution" Prize from the Hansarang Rural Cultural Foundation and was recently named the 2019 winner of a "Challenge Maker" Award from Challenge Korea. TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee translated the refugee's remarks from Korean to English.