Saturday, June 24, 2006

'Crash Course' for North Koreans

According to this article , the North Korean defectors are sent to resettlement centers, like the one in Anseong, which is about 50 miles south of Seoul, to receive three months 'crash- course' to get them settled into the South Korean lifestyle. However, it demonstrates that, even though both sides share a common language, there has been a substantial deviation in the two cultures for the defectors to familiarize with the South's capitalistic lifestyle too easily. One defector said it took him more than 10 years to understand how the South Korean society worked. Despite the fact that the North and the South Koreans are the same in essential, as the article goes to state, an enormous task is ahead if the two sides are to unite one day with 23 million North Koreans.

2 comments:

a said...

Sadly, in my view, such article as this only reflects by the tiniest fraction of the difficulties that will be faced with the reunification of the two sides. Regarding the discrimination, it is important to note that Koreans are a very ethnocentric people, and not just towards foreigners but towards its own people as well. Just within South Korean society, there exists strong regional discrimination that significantly affects both political and social aspects of Korean life. With such points in mind, whether the North Koreans will be welcomed wholly with wide-open arms is only questionable. It is also probable, as John said above, that someone from a modern Asian country would find it easier to adapt to living in South Korea, although, it is highly likely, as is the case in present day South Korea, that he/she will face a harsh, discriminating Korean Society, if not more than a North Korean would.
What's even more questionable then is whether North Koreans will find it 'easier' to live in a foreign country than in South Korea.

Anonymous said...

Hi!! my name is felicity and i am in year 10, forth form at hamilton girls high school in new zealand. in my social studies class i have a human rights assignment about the discrimination of north koreans, today. As this is a new topic to mee i do not know a lot about the issue so i was just wondring whether anyone would answer a few questions to help me with my project??

if anyone is able to answer a few questions in their spare time to help me may you please email me on chicky-flicky@hotmail.com

thank you for taking the time to read this i hope to hear from some of you in the future!