Deaths of destitute North Korean mother and child spark national soul-searching in wealthy South Korea
- The story of a defector who appeared to have starved to death with her son in Seoul has thrown a spotlight on the plight of North Koreans in the South
- Many defectors risk their lives to flee the North, only to face discrimination and further deprivation in hyper-competitive South Korea
By the time Han, a North Korean defector, and her six-year-old son were found at their rented flat in southwestern Seoul, they had been dead for weeks.
The building manager who found the bodies made the grim discovery only after being alerted to a strange smell. The water to the flat had been cut off due to unpaid bills, and the fridge was empty but for some chilli flakes.
The 42-year-old mother, who fled poverty in North Korea a decade prior, had made her last withdrawal of 3,858 won (US$3) from her South Korean bank account in May, according to police. While the results of an autopsy have yet to be revealed, the authorities found no evidence of foul play or suicide and said this week Han and her child likely starved to death.
It brings tears to our eyes that this North Korean defector was a victim of starvation and could die in this way in Seoul.
Many South Koreans have been asking how anyone – least of all a person who escaped from one of the world’s most oppressive regimes – could meet such a tragic end in a country that claims to be a safe harbour for its ethnic brethren in the North and boasts a GDP per capita similar to that of Italy.