hankyoreh

Lawyers from MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society hold a press conference in front of the North Korean Defector Protection Center in Siheung

Between Aug. 8 and 11, the 13 defectors from a North Korean restaurant – including a manager and 12 female employees – were released successively from the North Korean Defector Protection Center (formerly the Joint Interrogation Center) run by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).

For about five months after the defectors entered South Korea in early April, they received resettlement education at the Protection Center instead of being sent to the Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees (Hanawon), which is run by the Unification Ministry.

Their joint interrogation at the Protection Center by related government agencies appears to have lasted for 40 days at the most. “I was questioned for about 40 days, since I had more information than the female employees,” the manager said.

After the joint interrogation period was over, the defectors completed a resettlement education program similar to Hanawon’s, visiting sites including department stores and amusement parks. “The first place we went was Lotte World,” the manager said.

Having being released from the Protection Center, the defectors are thought to be living in Seoul and other areas. “Even this seems like a pretty substantial place compared to North Korean houses, given how expensive land prices are in Seoul,” the manager said, speaking about his apartment.

The female employees have reportedly been given residences that they can share in groups of two or three. Whereas the manager moves about with relative freedom, it is very likely that the women do not venture out of their homes.

“Since [the female employees] haven’t been out [of the Protection Center] for long, they are all very anxious. The officials at the Protection Center called MINBYUN a bunch of North Korean sympathizers, so they think that their parents will die if they meet MINBYUN lawyers. They’re all very afraid of going outside. They’re also afraid of their identity being disclosed,” said the source, who was speaking of MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society.

But another source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he had heard that the female employees were getting ready to make a media appearance.

When the Hankyoreh had contacted the manger on several previous occasions, he had said that he had “no reason to reply.” The reason that he called the Hankyoreh at the end of last month was presumably because of his anxiety and concern about losing touch with the female defectors.

“The female defectors followed me because they trusted me. Doesn’t it seem a little strange that they would have obeyed their manager instead of their parents?” said the manager, who frequently emphasized his influence over the female defectors. But he was also displeased that “in South Korea, they probably won’t think of me as their manager anymore.”

By Kim Jin-cheol, staff reporter

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