I always wonder what the culture shock is like for defectors, and how much planning he needed to pull it off.
For a senior diplomat, I’d imagine there’d be comparatively less culture shock, since he’d have lived a more comfortable life and know much more about South Korea and the rest of the world than the average North Korean.
There are videos on the UTube featuring NK defectors living in the west. As @Velocity says, it’s not so much a shock for a diplomat as for common farmers and laborers, but the amount of freedom I’m sure takes getting used to even for the North Korean elite. As a high ranking official he probably has more fear for his life from NK agents also.
If you’re interested, there is a youtube channel called Dimple that very prominently features N.Koreans who defected. They are usually reacting to various videos and comparing what they see to life in North Korea or sometimes meeting various people and just explaining what life was like there.
I recall reading either a book or other account of a Korean woman defecting to the south. It talked about how overwhelmed she was by what she saw and heard, the easy availability of food, the noise, the lights, etc. Since those in the north are only allowed to see and hear what the government lets them see and hear, most of them have little idea of what a modern city looks like.
I fear for the defector’s family, if he has any, remaining in North Korea.
That was my thought as well.
I heard an interview with a North Korean defector many hears ago, probably on NPR. The part I found memorable was that she apparently couldn’t quite grasp the difference between a tax paid to the government versus a bill paid to a private company, since private industry isn’t really a thing in North Korea. She seemed to be under the impression that the money she paid every month to the electric company was a “tax”.
North Korean Official Flees with $30M in Kim’s Slush Funds
According to sources in North Korea, the person who embezzled the money is a high-ranking official from the North Korean military’s Security Bureau. He fled after embezzling $30 million for weapon modernization from Beijing, China, around the 11th of last month.
It’s common for North Korea to use character assassination against defectors, often accusing them of various crimes once they’ve fled.
Stealing $30M of Kim’s money seems like a character strength, not a flaw. Less available for making nukes.
Still, it does tarnish the idea of giving asylum to a political refugee if you’re also giving sanctuary to a criminal fugitive.
If it’s Xi’s money it might show poor judgement and short term thinking. Both Xi and Kim are quite willing to spend thousands of dollars in counterfeit $50 bills to have this guy whacked. He might have enjoyed more freedom back in North Korea than he’ll get now. But he does have an American Express Black Card now so he’s going to enjoy the rest of his life far more than if he stayed.
Would you say the same if a Jew had stolen money from the Nazi party and then fled Germany?
As a criminal, yes.
Not that I would refuse asylum or return them; that takes precedence. But criminal acts are criminal acts.
Rather than make a new thread I figured this article works here. Interesting idea-I wonder if giving this man a job would be viewed positively, and how does the average South Korean view defectors?