What South Korea doesn’t want defectors from the North to say about the Kim Jong-un regime
September is expected to bring a flurry of diplomatic activity on the Korean peninsula, with plans under way for South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit Pyongyang and the possibility of a similar trip by Chinese President Xi Jinping. As momentum builds, Josephine Ma and Jeong-ho Lee talk to defectors and aid groups about what they say is growing resistance to their criticism of Pyongyang
North Korean defectors in the South feel they are being pressured not to criticise the regime in Pyongyang since the historic talks between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in April.
One defector, who gives lectures on North Korean society in the South, was given an instruction from superiors to avoid calling the reclusive state a “nuclear regime”.
They also said that they had been “encouraged” to treat issues such as North Korean political prison camps and human rights issues as taboo, according to the person.
Defectors also support the long-term vision of reunification, but their views are very different from the generally positive sentiments of the South Korean public.
Many defectors believe unification will only be possible with the toppling of the Kim regime.
Choi Seong-guk, an animator who fled to South Korea eight years ago, also said he felt his freedom of speech was under pressure when he spoke out against the inter-Korean reconciliation.
Choi, who draws satirical cartoons about the North’s human rights violations, said he was “kicked out” of a South Korean television show once for making negative comments about Kim.