Lawmaker criticizes plan to rename North Korean defectors

Dec. 24 (Asia Today) — People Power Party lawmaker Park Chung-kwon, a former North Korean defector, criticized the Unification Ministry’s plan to change the designation for North Korean defectors to “Northbound residents,” calling it “an idea you’d expect from a dictatorship.”

Park made the remarks Wednesday on Ato TV’s “Shin Yul’s Political Check,” saying he felt uneasy about what he described as a political intent to curry favor with the North Korean regime.

Park said some defectors feel discomfort with the current term, but argued the cause was misidentified. Changing the label to “Northbound residents” would not improve matters, he said.

He said the discomfort stems from social prejudice and alienation tied to their identity as people from North Korea, not from the wording itself.

Park said the fundamental solution is for defectors to settle successfully and integrate into South Korean society as citizens. He also claimed most defectors oppose the proposed change.

Park said the term “North Korean defectors” reflects people who came to South Korea seeking freedom and escaping oppression by the North Korean regime, and argued that meaning is not reflected in “Northbound residents.”

He also alleged the Unification Ministry conducted a survey on the name change targeting defectors and provided their personal information to a polling company without their consent. Park said he requested materials related to the survey results but the ministry has not disclosed them. He claimed there was no consensus among defectors and no discussion on the change.

Separately, Park criticized the revised Information and Communications Network Act passed in a National Assembly plenary session Wednesday, saying authorities label information as false to shut down the media and the public when it does not suit the ruling camp.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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