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| North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un makes a "finger-heart" for a photo while his wife Ri Sol-ju places her hand below the heart during the visit to Mount Paektu with President Moon Jae-in and South Korean officials, Sept. 20. Joint Press Corps. |
South Korea's Cheong Wa Dae, or "Blue House," released photos showing North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un making a "finger-heart" while visiting Mount Paektu with President Moon Jae-in on the third day of the Pyongyang summit. North Korean refugees responded to the photo.
Jihyun, who escaped North Korea in 1998 and again in 2004 after being repatriated, arrived in the UK in 2008
That finger-heart means love. Does Kim Jong-un love his people? North Korea remains one of the most repressive, authoritarian states in the world, ruled for seven decades by the Kim family and the Workers' Party of Korea. During his fifth year in power, Kim Jong-Un continues to generate fearful obedience by using public executions, arbitrary detention and forced labor; tightening travel restrictions to prevent North Koreans from escaping and seeking refuge overseas; and systematically persecuting those with religious contacts inside and outside the country.
Will the finger-hearts of Kim Jong-un and the South Korean government bring liberty and light to North Koreans? Darkness does not retreat by itself, people need to continue speaking out on behalf of North Koreans. The finger-heart sign can't hide the brutal oppression that many North Koreans are suffering from even today.
Kim Guk-hwa, female, escaped North Korea in 2007, arrived in South Korea in 2015
That heart sign doesn't mean that he has changed, but there is one good thing about it: It shows that he has learned that he can't be the same kind of dictator his father was. When I was in North Korea, any gesture with your hands was about fighting, shooting or killing, not love or fun. If North Koreans see that photo, then for once they will see something lovely about gestures instead of a call to kill Americans or other foreign invaders.
Kim Jong-un is definitely better than his father Kim Jong-il, the economy is definitely much better under him. His father and grandfather made North Korea into a terrible country. So many people have died, so he can't be free from his crimes, Kim Jong-un needs to be punished for his oppression. Even though he is better than his father, I didn't have a good feeling seeing that photo of him smiling. It looks like he is enjoying his life, while people in North Korea are still starving and not free.
Jeong-A, female, escaped from North Korea in 2005, arrived in South Korea in 2013
He looks really satisfied, but he seems to be an emotional and unstable guy who is trying to reach the international stage. He won't give up nuclear weapons because that is his lifeline. I wonder about the affect the photo could have on North Koreans. Some people say they escaped for freedom, but most people I know really escaped because they were starving or in difficult situations. People can't enjoy self-achievement when they are in North Korea; they just move to avoid bad situations. No one asks, "Do you love yourself?" They don't consider things about hearts. So it will be somewhat surprising for them to see a "heart" sign from the country's leader. He did that for the international stage; I wonder if he will do that when he returns to North Korea, or if he will continue showing two different faces.
Jinyoung, male, escaped North Korea in 2014, arrived in South Korea in 2014
When I saw the photos, it was one of those rare times that Kim Jong-Un looked human. North Koreans often see him walking around with others serving him like he is a god, but this was the first time he was with world leaders doing that kind of media photo. He was just one of the people, not with everyone bowing down to him. He has clearly killed many people and destroyed many lives, but that photo, even though it is just for show, did humanize him. It won't change anything, he is still rocket man, so it doesn't matter how he poses for cameras with a peace sign or heart sign. His father developed nuclear weapons, and now that he has finished his father's mission to develop the nuclear program he is not going to give up his major accomplishment. Symbolism and hand signals are different from policy changes. I'm concerned that in the name of peace that people are too quick to sign any deal with him, and that President Moon is humanizing him. It is difficult to change thoughts and ideology, so the heart sign doesn't really mean anything.
Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, is the 2017 winner of the "Social Contribution" Prize from the Hansarang Rural Cultural Foundation and the 2017 winner of the Global Award from Challenge Korea. He compiled these statements from interviews with refugees studying at TNKR. Eunkoo Lee, TNKR co-founder, translated their comments from Korean to English.
