Should the government increase the rate of the resettlement aid? - By Rihyun Kim

“As North Korea conducted its third nuclear test…” When I was watching the news on television about the third nuclear test in North Korea, my sister asked, “Why does South Korea have to help North Korea though it always attacks us?” Her question also left me with the same question. Even though nothing comes back from aggressive North Korea, South Korea still aids the other Korea. 

The two Koreas have been divided for about 60 years since the Korean War. Koreans in my generation cannot really feel a sense of intimacy toward different Koreans. One of my friends often says that North Korea is so close, yet so far due to the severance of cultural relations. However, the government still insists us to help North Korea to prepare for the vague plan of upcoming unification. Now, I partly grasp the genuine intention of a constant engagement policy, though I couldn't at first. “Korea” is still “one country” that was inevitably separated by external factors. The thing we have to focus on is the North Korea government which suppresses citizens into a corner, and not North Korea itself. North Korean citizens are at desperate conditions since they live in abysmal poverty without any freedom. Thus, numerous North Korean risk their life to cross the Apnok River (the river which lies on the border between North Korea and China).

Recently, the Ministry of Unification decided to increase the rate of resettlement aid for North Korean defectors. Resettlement aid is the subsidy provided with 19 million won (17,000 dollars) and up to an additional 21.4 million won (19,107 dollars) for defectors to assimilate into Korean society. However, numerous people cast doubts toward the government’s decision. According to the fellow of Labor Institute, resettlement policy didn't bring the expected results, but demands a large budget. Actually, the portion of resettlement aid within the Ministry’s entire budget is expected to increase due to the growing number of defectors. Moreover, several organizations, such as labor unions and organizations for disabled protested strongly against the new policy.

I personally do not agree with the decision of the government on the policy related with the resettlement aid. Though many opponents protest against this policy due to the fear of disadvantages on their organizations, I consider this problem on a different perspective.

At first, defectors need a continuous and effective assistance rather than a just short-term financial help. They usually have hardship in adjusting into the Korean society. Thus, the government is planning to increase the rate of aid to make them assimilate into the society rapidly. The government claims that defectors need more financial supports to deal with the basic needs such as clothing, food, and shelter since they escaped from North-Korea empty-handed. However, the resettlement aid can’t relieve defector’ burden in a long term; it is only an ephemeral policy. Defectors are not animals that just need to satisfy their basic needs. As humans are social animals, they need to live in a group where people are associated. Thus, people need time and supply to adjust into the new society after they left from the group they belonged to. Likewise, since North Korean defectors spent their whole life in North Korea, defectors are not accustomed with the custom and culture of South Korea; thus they have difficulties in assimilating into the new environment. Hence, the government should provide constant and effective education or programs to make defectors succeed in adjusting into South Korea society. The defectors crossed the Apnok River and went on a long journey from North Korea, China, Cambodia, then to South Korea not to be treated as outsiders or strangers of the new society, but to escape from impoverished and confined life, and pursue their goals that couldn't be achieved in North Korea. Though there is a 3-month Hanawon program – a program that provides information about South Korean culture and basic education about the differences between several North and South Korean words – and local centers which provide help after defectors graduate from the Hanawon program, those are temporary expedients. If training programs for defectors go along as they are now, defectors won’t able to be belong to the community, and will wander around as outsiders. Moreover, if new policy gets established, many defectors will only depend on resettlement aid; thus, it would be difficult for them to fit in when the aid dispensing period expires. Settling their identities as outsiders has a potential to lead to a bad result. Therefore, to enable defectors to successfully fit in to South Korean society, the government should investment more on educational and training field rather than just increase resettlement aid.

 

In addition, education for defectors is needed not only to pay off debts but also to guarantee them their future. North Korean defectors are not able to escape alone. Most successful people were able to cross Apnok River while brokers were keeping watch on border guards. If North Korean escapees succeed in crossing the border, they have to offer a large sum of money to brokers who smuggle them out through China and Southeast Asia. The amount defectors owe brokers is almost equal to the amount of resettlement subsidy. Thus, after paying off debts, most of defectors begin their new life in South Korea only with pennies. Moreover, some of them send about 70% of the aid to family in North Korea. However, will there be any difference if they get paid better? I personally think that increasing the rate of subsidy is as inefficient way of managing taxes. As the quote "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime," mentions, the government should let them learn the way to earn money so as to escape from the poverty cycle on their own. Most of employers are reluctant to hire defectors due to their inferior ability to compete with South Koreans in work ethics, habit, and skills. Despite of the government's effort such as shouldering half of defectors' monthly wages for two years with companies, companies still hesitate to employ them due to their lack of capabilities in working skills. Since this conception was ingrained in employers as a stereotype of defector workers, defectors with high competitive abilities are unfairly discriminated by employers, Thus , to complement their lack of working abilities, the government should systemically implement education and job-training programs. Those programs should not be proceeded as simple program for unemployed South Koreans, but they need to provide an opportunity to search sufficient information on the occupation that they want to apply and to study about the field that they want to major in. Those programs will lead defectors to step forward as members of South Korean society. 

To sum up, what is needed now for North Korean defectors is not financial aid but the support from the government to assimilate into South Korean society. The government should establish more systemized and continuous education and training programs to get them settled not as outsiders, but as active members of Korean society.