Saejowi (
hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
: 새조위), also known as Saejowi Initiative for National Integration (
hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
: 새롭고 하나된 조국을 위한 모임), operates in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that assists
North Korean defectors
Since the division of Korea after the end of World War II, North Koreans have fled from the country in spite of legal punishment for political, ideological, religious, economic, moral, personal, or nutritional reasons. Such North Koreans are re ...
with settlement in South Korea. Saejowi sponsors programs that provide medical support, job training, and other educational opportunities in order to aid with defector adjustment to South Korean society. Additionally, Saejowi works to encourage civil involvement in the
Korean reunification
Korean reunification () is the potential reunification of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea into a single Korean sovereign state. The process towards reunification was started by the June 15th North–South Joi ...
movement, especially among the defector community. The organization hosts programs that facilitate open communication between South Koreans and defectors from
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
. It has previously worked with the Korean
Ministry of Unification
The Ministry of Unification is an executive department of the South Korean government aimed at promoting Korean reunification. It was first established in 1969 as the ''National Unification Board'', under the rule of Park Chung-hee. It gained its ...
, Korea Hana Foundation, and the Community Chest of Korea.
History
Saejowi was first established on October 15, 1988, by Hong, Sa-deok (
홍사덕), a former Korean senator and current Acting Representative of the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation (
민족화해협력범국민협의회). Saejowi was founded with the publication of Hong's book "My Dream, My Challenge" (나의 꿈, 나의 도전), which advocates the reconsideration of Korean reunification among South Koreans.
In March 1991 the Korean Ministry of Unification registered Saejowi as a
social movement
A social movement is a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to resist or undo one. It is a type of group action and may ...
, and in July 2001 Saejowi was officially registered as a nongovernmental organization. The organization's first resettlement support center for North Korean defectors began operations in 2003. Three years later in 2006, Saejowi opened the first medical support center at the National Medical Center. A year later a call center was established in the same location for refugees with medical questions. In the next six years, three other medical counseling centers were opened in the following locations:
Chungnam National University
Chungnam National University (CNU) is a national university located in Daejeon, South Korea. It is one of ten Flagship Korean National Universities.
History and introduction
Chungnam National University was founded in 1952. Its motto is "Creat ...
Hospital (2009), Incheon Red Cross Hospital (2011), and the Seoul Medical Center (2012).
Beginning in 2007 Saejowi has hosted coaching sessions for North Korean defectors looking to become professional counselors. In 2012, Saejowi began a domestic violence counseling service that focuses on providing women with information regarding self-defense in sexual and domestic violence situations. In 2013 Saejowi celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special international policy forum held in conjunction with the
Hanns Seidel Foundation
The Christian Social Union of Bavaria, CSU-associated Hanns Seidel Foundation (german: Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung) is a German party-associated and taxpayer-money funded political research Foundation (charity), foundation. It was founded in November 19 ...
from
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, Germany.
Since March 2009 Dr. Shin, Mi-nyeo has been the acting representative of Saejowi.
Medical support
Since its inception in 1988, Saejowi has worked primarily in the medical community, where it has established medical counseling centers for North Korean defectors in four South Korean hospitals. By the end of 2014, Saejowi had provided medical counseling assistance to approximately 7,500 North Korean refugees.
Saejowi's four medical centers were established to provide medical counseling to supplement and explain professional
diagnoses
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine "cause and effect". In systems enginee ...
and treatments. The organization's counselors are North Korean defectors, so they are able to describe medical recommendations using the
North Korean dialect
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
. The medical counseling offered by Saejowi specifically addresses the following situations: North Korean defectors who arrive in South Korea with untreated physical illness and
posttraumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...
(PTSD), North Korean defectors who are unable to obtain necessary medical treatment because of misunderstandings caused by differences between medical procedures in North and South Korea, and North Korean defectors who experience difficulties understanding medical terms and phrases derived from English and other Western languages.
Job training
In order to help North Korean defectors obtain employment in South Korea, Saejowi provides them with programs that address their physical, psychological, social, and emotional needs. The organization has also created other short-term programs on an as-needed basis, such as a language program initiated in 2010 with the Daewon Foreign Language High School to provide English language training to defectors.
Coaching
Through Saejowi's "Coaching" (코칭) program, North Korean defectors can develop the necessary skills to become licensed as counselors who can provide assistance to other defectors as they utilize the South Korean healthcare system. These classes teach participants how to assist patients as they obtain medical referrals, schedule necessary appointments, receive discharge information, and communicate with medical staff. Counselors also provide defectors with social support by visiting them in the hospital, listening to their concerns, and sharing information regarding life in South Korea. By the end of 2013, 118 North Koreans were certified as counselors, with 59 defectors officially employed in a career related to their counseling training.
Domestic violence counseling
![Saejowi Sexual Violence Lecture](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Saejowi_Sexual_Violence_Lecture.jpg)
The organization's
domestic
Domestic may refer to:
In the home
* Anything relating to the human home or family
** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication
** A domestic appliance, or home appliance
** A domestic partnership
** Domestic science, sometimes c ...
and
sexual violence
Sexual violence is any sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act by violence or coercion, act to traffic a person, or act directed against a person's sexuality, regardless of the relationship to the victim.World Health Organization., World re ...
counseling for North Korean defectors is for defectors who have suffered through abusive family situations. Because many North Koreans believe that their abusive family situations are "normal," they do not seek assistance for domestic violence offenses. Through these counseling sessions Saejowi provides these defectors with the information they need to both recognize and avoid abusive situations.
Home care service
Saejowi's "Home Care Service" (홈케어 서비스) trains defectors in the basics of
childcare
Child care, otherwise known as day care, is the care and supervision of a child or multiple children at a time, whose ages range from two weeks of age to 18 years. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(r ...
and household duties. Participants in this program provide home care services to North Korean defectors who lack the financial means to pay for similar services offered by South Korean companies. These household helpers focus on assisting families with
single parent
A single parent is a person who has a child or children but does not have a spouse or live-in partner to assist in the upbringing or support of the child. Reasons for becoming a single parent include divorce, break-up, abandonment, becoming wid ...
s needing to work,
elderly
Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...
needing regular
hospice
Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...
care, and sick family members needing medical services.
Educational and Cultural Programs
Saejowi works to educate South Koreans and the global community about the difficulties faced by North Korean defectors. Initially founded as a "reunification movement," Saejowi continues to operate by advocating Korean reunification as well as the human rights of the North Korean people.
Reunification coordinator school
The educational opportunities provided by Saejowi are intended to facilitate improved relationships between North Korean defectors and South Koreans. In 2014, Saejowi hosted the"Reunification Coordinator School"(통일 코디네이터 학교) program, where approximately fifteen South Koreans and fifteen North Korean defectors met together on a weekly basis to discuss what needs to happen before North and South Korea can effectively reunify. The North Korean defectors in this program offered insights into what South Korea could do better to more effectively accommodate the needs of the North Korean population.
Performances
![Saejowi Reunification Concert](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Saejowi_Reunification_Concert.JPG)
In November 2014 Saejowi co-sponsored the performance "The Story of Those Who Left" with the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. This was a modern dance performance aimed at expressing the human will to survive. The Promise Team from Berlin, Germany, adapted and performed the stories of four North Korean women and highlighted their ability to discover a new life despite the difficulties and challenges they had previously faced. This performance provided the participating North Korean women with an opportunity to share their stories through an artistic medium.
On December 29, 2014, Dr. Shin Mi-nyeo of Saejowi and Prof. Kim Young-soo, professor at
Sogang University
Sogang University (SU, Hangul: 서강대학교 Hanja: 西江大學校, literally "West River University") is one of the most prestigious private research universities in Seoul, South Korea. It was established in 1960 by the Wisconsin Province of ...
's
Political Science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
Department, performed nine songs from their new album, which features music focused on the emotions surrounding the division of the Korean peninsula. The songs were produced in collaboration with Seo Seung-il, a popular composer in South Korea.
Research activities
In recent years Saejowi has increased its focus on researching the problems surrounding defection from North Korea. While the organization emphasizes analyzing medical trends in the North Korean defector community in South Korea, it has also partnered with other research foundations in order to further research on how Korean reunification may impact North Korean defectors and the larger North Korean population. Saejowi also disseminates information and primary sources regarding defectors through various publications and forums in an effort to counteract discrimination against refugees.
International Policy Forum
![Saejowi 25th Anniversary Conference](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Saejowi_25th_Anniversary_Conference.JPG)
As part of its 25th anniversary, Saejowi co-hosted a conference with the
Hanns Seidel Foundation
The Christian Social Union of Bavaria, CSU-associated Hanns Seidel Foundation (german: Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung) is a German party-associated and taxpayer-money funded political research Foundation (charity), foundation. It was founded in November 19 ...
on June 4, 2013. The forum focused on how the West German government adapted to the flow of
refugees
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. from
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
into
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
between 1945 and the fall of the
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...
. The role of civil society and non-governmental organizations in the
German reunification
German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
process was also discussed, as well as the lessons applicable in the Korean context.
Letters to North Korea
Since 2004 Saejowi has been collecting letters written by North Korean defectors back home to North Korea. Because letters posted from South Korea are not deliverable in North Korea, the letters are never sent; however, the defectors have given permission for the publication of the letters on an annual basis. Saejowi recently completed an English translation of forty of these letters and is planning to publish the collection in 2015 with the title "Under the Apricot Tree." These letters provide insight into the inner thoughts of refugees before and after they leave North Korea.
Partners
* Community Chest of Korea
*
Hanns Seidel Foundation
The Christian Social Union of Bavaria, CSU-associated Hanns Seidel Foundation (german: Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung) is a German party-associated and taxpayer-money funded political research Foundation (charity), foundation. It was founded in November 19 ...
* Korea Hana Foundation
* Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture
* South Korean
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (), or formerly the Ministry of Gender Equality (여성부, 女性部, ), is a cabinet-level division of the government of South Korea. It was created on February 28, 1998 as the ''Presidential Commissio ...
* South Korean
Ministry of Security and Public Administration
Ministry of Security and Public Administration (MOSPA, Korean: 안전행정부), formerly Ministry of Public Administration and Security (MOPAS), was a ministry of the national government of South Korea. The ministry was in charge of the civil a ...
* South Korean
Ministry of Unification
The Ministry of Unification is an executive department of the South Korean government aimed at promoting Korean reunification. It was first established in 1969 as the ''National Unification Board'', under the rule of Park Chung-hee. It gained its ...
References
{{North Korean defectors
1988 establishments in South Korea
Organizations based in Seoul
North Korean defectors
Korean migration
Non-profit organizations based in South Korea
Human rights in North Korea
Organizations specializing in North Korean issues