Collaborative Witnessing: A North Korean's Immigration Experience in South Korea

Castledown Publishers. Ground Level, 470 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, 3004, Australia. Tel: +61-3-7003-8355; e-mail: contact@castledown.com; Web site: https://www.castledown.com/journals/mle/index

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13

Foreign Countries; Immigration; Refugees; Ethnography; Personal Narratives; Story Telling; Acculturation; Adjustment (to Environment); Cultural Awareness; Immigrants; Multicultural Education; Inclusion; Sense of Community; Intercultural Communication; Cultural Differences; Teaching Experience

North Korea; South Korea

2652-5984

This article primarily focuses on a North Korean defector, JeongOk Lee, and her experience before and after defecting from North Korea to South Korea. Her personal struggles are illustrated through language difficulties, food terminology, and her teaching experience in both North and South Korea. Collaborative witnessing, a form of "relational ethnography," is the methodology utilized in this article. In collaborative witnessing, the interview style is informal, and is considered more of a conversation and storytelling versus structured interviews. The theoretical framework utilized in this article is Young Kim's (1988) theory of communication and cross-cultural adaptation, which states that a person achieves intercultural transformation by being deculturized from one culture and acculturated to the new culture. JeongOk's experiences highlight several aspects. North Korean defectors should be viewed through a lens of multiculturalism rather than focusing on the political or controversial issues regarding North Korean defectors. Therefore, these defectors should be considered immigrants. As such, South Koreans should be more aware of the experiences and hardships of North Korean defectors. Education can help in this area. By developing multicultural classes or lessons addressing the experiences of North Korean defectors, South Koreans will better understand North Korean defector needs and experiences, which will allow better integration into South Korean society. It is crucial for North Korean defectors to feel a sense of belonging in South Korea.

As Provided

2024

EJ1443950