North Koreans’ public narratives and conditional inclusion in South Korea

Jennifer Hough,Markus Bell

doi:10.1080/14672715.2020.1740606

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article draws on the public testimonies of North Koreans living in South Korea (t’albungmin) and analyzes the role that these narratives play in South Korean society as mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. North and South Korea technically remain at war, with South Korea claiming sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula. While t’albungmin are eligible for South Korean citizenship, they describe feeling excluded from full social membership. Although some t’albungmin seek anonymity, this paper considers those who gain social status by speaking publicly about their lives and denouncing the North Korean regime. In so doing, they distance themselves from North Korea and align themselves with the “good” discourse of human rights. However, their actions reinforce a logic of exclusion, implying that t’albungmin who prefer anonymity are “sympathizers” of the North and consequently restricting their access to social benefits and resources. This case of conditional inclusion illuminates tensions that arise when a sovereignty claim entails the incorporation of people from an enemy state. It also highlights the carefully delineated boundaries of publicly acceptable behavior within which “suspect” citizens must remain as a condition for positive recognition.

Highlights

In October 2014, a young woman named Park Yeonmi1 stood in front of the One Young World Summit in Dublin, Ireland to offer testimony of her life in North Korea.2 Wearing a traditional Korean dress and fighting back tears, Park spoke of her childhood under dictatorship, her family’s harrowing escape to China, and her arrival in South Korea
Arrival in South Korea is the beginning of a different set of challenges, as new arrivals must learn and navigate the demands of the host society. One such demand is a desire for information; t’albungmin are required to verify their identities by providing South Korean state representatives with detailed life histories, they find themselves invited by human rights organizations, religious groups, and popular media outlets to speak about life in North Korea
Given the themes common to the public narratives of t’albungmin, we identify three unspoken conditions structuring their inclusion into such public spaces: they must be prepared to talk publicly about personal experiences, accept that they may be primarily framed as victims, and publicly identify as North Korean

Summary

Introduction

In October 2014, a young woman named Park Yeonmi1 stood in front of the One Young World Summit in Dublin, Ireland to offer testimony of her life in North Korea.2 Wearing a traditional Korean dress and fighting back tears, Park spoke of her childhood under dictatorship, her family’s harrowing escape to China, and her arrival in South Korea.

Results

Conclusion