I have a lot of eating and transportation and interacting with technology photos. While I think a lot of that is just that it took a while to build trust, I think they’re also important motifs of refugees rebuilding a life in Seoul.

The fact that Kyung-Ok can go to school now and doesn’t have to play hooky to guard her family’s food is a huge deal. So is her food security, access to high speed, convenient transportation and mobile internet. She told me that in her village in the DPRK, her family was the only one around that had a television. It was black and white and the whole block came by every night to watch old Russian or Chinese movies. Now, Kyung-Ok torrents a lot of American teen flicks, action adventures from Vietnam, and comedies among whatever else she pleases. Among some of the titles we’ve watched together are Mean Girls, The Hannah Montana Movie and Wild Child.

While Kyung-Ok is my main source and she gives me great access, I’m also focusing a lot on her and Oh-Kyong’s friendship. They met at a resettlement camp. I hear a lot that it’s much harder to make friends with South Koreans, and their bond is really special. Oh-Kyong is a little more hesitant to let me into her daily life, but when she’s with Kyung-Ok she opens up a bit. Here are some photos of them.

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Posts tagged with North-Koreans

“I am a tiger.”

Young Defectors: Friendship