Taken_LQ

Korean-Japanese Returnees Were Treated Worse
Than They Could Ever Have Imagined
Ethnic Koreans who lived in Japan were encouraged to return to what
they believed was “the workers’ Paradise” in the 1950s and 1960s. When their
ships entered North Korea, the returnees were directed to a guest house, where the
authorities decided where each family would reside. Here the new arrivals were often
met by family members and friends who had arrived
Ethnic Koreans who
lived in Japan
were encouraged to
return to what they
believed was “the
workers’ Paradise” in
the 1950s and 1960s.
before. To their surprise and apprehension, many of
those who had arrived earlier explained that they had
made a terrible mistake. They pitied the new arrivals
for choosing to return, and cautioned them how to
handle their new, difficult lives in North Korea. They
were advised to use bribes when necessary, especially to
the officials in charge of living arrangements. 8
They were also advised that they would have
no future if they ended up in areas where they would
be assigned to mines and farms. Life in Pyongyang
was said to be better than in other cities, but when the
returnees specifically requested Pyongyang, the authorities said “under President
Kim Il-sung’s leadership, everywhere in the nation is equal.” They knew they had
no choice but to accept their assignment to any location. Only a few returnees were
selected to live in Pyongyang city. 9 The majority of the returnees were sent to distant
mines, fields, mountains, and farms. 10
Those who were in senior positions in the Chongryon or who had highly
advanced skills were treated with certain consideration; the rest of the recent
arrivals, however, were asked to submit resumes, none of which were taken very
seriously by the authorities. 11
For example, Chung Ki-hae tells how his family was assigned to live in
Chongju (or Jongju), a county, an area with a population of 100,000, about 20,000
of whom lived in Chongju City. Residents in the area were thin and wore shabby
clothes, much worse than what Chung and his family saw people wearing when
they traveled through Pyongyang, Chongjin, and Hamhung by train. He noted that
8
The account of Chung Ki-hae is taken from the author’s translations of Chung Ki-hae, Kikokusen
(Bungei Shunjyu, 1995).
9
One famous one was the grandfather of Kang Chol-hwan whose entire family ended up prison
camps. Kang’s account is published in the book that was made famous when President George W.
Bush read it and invited Kang to the White House on June 13, 2005. Kang Chol Hwan and Pierre
Rigoulot, The Aquariums of Pyongyang (Basic Books, New York, 2001).
10
Chung Ki-hae, Kikokusen (Bungei Shunjyu, 1995), 67.
11
Ibid.
about 70 percent of the population were farmers and the rest were laborers. The
area had one store, one cafeteria, and one post office. Residents used “Ryangkwon,”
or coupons, for buying necessities at these facilities. About 20 Korean families from
Japan moved into this area during the years of the Returnee Project. 12
They soon learned that they would be under strict surveillance. KWP
secretaries and the manager of their factory visited the new arrivals every day. The
internal security police warned Chung and his family not to become friends with
certain locals and recent arrivals. The internal security personnel urged residents to
inform on one another in order to weed out those who were rebellious or critical of
authority. 13
The returnees quickly learned to be circumspect about what they said. For
example, Party members brought tomatoes to them and asked whether Chung and
his family had ever eaten them before. Chung’s family had of course eaten tomatoes
in Japan, but stayed quiet and placated the KWP representatives by showing false
gratitude. 14
Fear became a constant feature of their lives. Chung’s memoirs tell of
numerous times when local authorities forced workers and farmers to watch their
compatriots’ public trials and executions. 15
In 1965, Chung was arrested for “spying.” He was reported to have said,
when talking with five of his returnee friends, that life was so stressful that he
wished to go back to Japan. Though he had mentioned it in passing, one of his
friends later reported this comment. Five of the six returnees who were talking that
day, including Chung, were arrested by the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) and
sent to a prison cell at the far North of Hyesan City. For four months, Chung was
interrogated and suffered from malnourishment and exposure. He was forced to
testify that he was a spy.
This experience haunted Chung for the rest of his time in North Korea
because his neighbors and fellow factory workers saw him differently than they did
before his arrest. Being friends with Chung would mean nothing but trouble for
others. In 1981, 16 years after he was released from prison, Chung was targeted by
MPS personnel who had come to the factory to find spies. Chung was criticized in
front of all the workers regarding his arrest on suspicion of spying. Chung tried to
explain how he was proven innocent and released, but it was of no use. 16
12
Ibid.
13
Ibid.
14
Ibid.
15
Ibid.
16
Ibid. 218-220.
40 41