Education for North Koreans and Educating South Koreans: Saejowi is Leading a Movement to Combat the Suffering of the North Koreans
By: Connor Pak
Intro
For thousands of North Korean defectors, the journey to South Korea is filled with peril. The border between South and North Korea, the DMZ, is a heavily guarded zone and is nearly impossible to cross directly. This means that most defects travel thousands of miles through China and Southeast Asia while under constant threat of capture in order to get to South Korea. However, the real challenge begins after crossing the border. Saejowi, a nonprofit founded in 1988, has been at the forefront of helping these individuals rebuild their lives in a new and unfamiliar society.
Based in Korea, Saejowi was founded in 1988, with the purpose of helping the North Korean refugee plight. Through fundraising, informational panels, and volunteer initiatives, Saejowi has provided support for refugees and their efforts to transition into South Korean society. As a means to aid in this transition, Saejowi works to provide funding for medical needs, aids in vocational transition, and enables educational opportunities, for adults and children alike.
Divisive tensions
The widespread misconceptions regarding North Korea in South Korea has been creating divisive tensions within both South Korean and North Korean cultures. Misconceived ideas about North Korean society such as their government and civilians’ experiences have caused South Koreans to see their northern counterparts as “unwelcome distant relatives.” In order to bridge this divisiveness, Saejowi holds its “Leaders of Unification Program.” Within this 7-12 week program, participants are taught about the educational differences between North and South Korea, spreading awareness about the plight of North Koreans. Using this information, participants discuss possible reunification matters, to promote both peace and unity, around such a divisive topic.
Saejowi is an organization based in South Korea which aids refugees fleeing from North Korea into South Korea
In a broader context, Saejowi’s initiatives are not just about providing immediate relief to North Korean refugees, but rather they are integral to the broader efforts toward Korean reunification. By fostering understanding and bridging cultural gaps, Saejowi plays a pivotal role in easing the tensions which may arise as a result of reunification.
Overcoming trauma
For many, the process of defecting from North Korea includes traveling thousands of miles through China. There, many women are taken advantage of by men and are subject to physical and mental trauma and abuse. Many of these women are forced to carry this burden on their backs for most of their lives, with no outlet to express, creating cycles of mental and physical struggle, with little to no support.
To remedy this, Saejowi creates a safe space in which women are invited to share their struggles and past experiences, creating both a close community and a support system, rather than bottling up trauma. This program not only provides relief and support to those harmed, it also spreads awareness and educates the general community regarding the severity of the abuse women undergo, and sparks discussion as to possible ways to support.
Saejowi fosters a supportive community where women can openly share their experiences | Image Credits: Saejowi
Educational opportunities
Saejowi also places a heavy emphasis on academic opportunities for North Koreans, through scholarship programs. Annually, Saejowi chooses ten North Korean students, based on merit and educational prowess, to receive a scholarship. This scholarship helps students to graduate secondary school or even college school. Each scholarship is worth $20,000, which means a total of $200,000 in scholarships is given to the students. Through such initiatives, Saejowi highlights the importance of education it holds, and aims to create opportunities for students that allow them to grow and further continue their studies enabling success in their future.
Saejowi has changed the lives of many North Korean students through their scholarship program | Image Credits: Saejowi
What now?
Although originally based in Korea, Saejowi has branched out to Los Angeles, California, creating its own sector there. This branch holds the same values as the original Saejowi, however places a larger focus on education in its initiatives. It serves to fundraise and provide educational services for both the low-income community and also the North Korean defectors who have moved to Los Angeles. Volunteer tutors pair up with students and hold weekly tutoring sessions, aiding students in math and English subjects. Through this program, Saejowi hopes to bridge the gap between student’s educational goals and financial burdens that may be restricting such students from achieving them. Tutors can help with homework, studying for tests, or even accelerating students beyond their grade-level subjects, creating a tutoring and educational system that is very flexible for the needs of the student. Given that it is a nonprofit organization, the Los Angeles branch fundraises through recycling, bake sales, and garage sales, allowing for resources to be bought for the students, and fundraising for the initiatives held in South Korea. Through collaboration with the South Korean branch, the Los Angeles sector works to create opportunities for North Korean students, allowing them to flourish and thrive.
So far, both the Los Angeles and South Korean branches has combined to change the lives of hundreds of North Koreans who have fled from their country and Saejowi is set on continuing this and leading reunification efforts so that one day all North Koreans may be able to live in a world without peril. But as Saejowi continues to lead the way in educating South Koreans and North Koreans alike, what can other organizations learn from Saejowi’s comprehensive approach? And how can we, as a global community, contribute to and support such essential initiatives to ensure that every individual, regardless of their past, has the opportunity to thrive?"
Saejowi is an initiative aimed at changing the dynamic between the two Koreas on the Korean peninsula and has even branched out to Los Angeles | Image Credits: Saejowi
