초대받지 못한 손님과 복화술사들: 탈북문학과 혐오담론

Abstract

This paper explores the themes of North Korean defectors’ novels published recently, and examines the discourse of hatred against defectors in the writings. At first North Korean defectors’ literature deals with the “conditional” acceptance of North Korean defectors as our neighbors. North Korean defectors, despite their continuous migration into South Korea since the “The Arduous March” period in the mid-1990s, are still usually imagined as “kkotjebi in jangmadang” or poor children who are begging in the marketplace. This outdated popular image, keeping their neighbors indifferent or unwilling to get close to them, drives North Koreans away from the network of social relationships. Secondly, the writings point out the problem of a hierarchical view toward North Korean defectors. The widespread notion that North Korean defectors are taken care of with “our” tax develops readily into the idea that “we” are being harmed by them. The general response to defectors, which converts sympathy and compassion into indifference and exclusion, keeps them as legitimate strangers or guests who are invited by nobody. Lastly, the novels are concerned about the sufferings of the next generation. Children of North Korean female defectors and Chinese men, embarrassed with their identity in South Korea but exposed to an identity crisis and negative self-perceptions, do not receive any proper attention. By describing the reality of North Korean migrants and exemplifying the cases of solidarity and hatred in South Korea, North Korean defectors’ literary writings require us to think together about what should be done against hatred.