Refugees from the North, for the Church, "part of our society, agents of the Gospel"

Saeteomin in Korean means "refugees, settlers”, and is the term by which the South Koreans call those who manage to escape from the regime in Pyongyang to settle across the border. Over time, given the very low level of integration of the exiles, it has become a derogatory term. And it was from this that Msgr. Kim began his address, who said: "We must be true witnesses of what happens in the North. Nothing can help more in this task than out saeteomin brothers, who have our same dignity".

Their way of living, their testimony "will help us increasingly expose and overcome the social prejudice that affects them, and the sense of alienation that greets them in South Korea.  Listening to their testimony, we learn to know and welcome them, also in view of their role as evangelists, when North Korea will return to being a free country”.  In addition to the lay participants, about 90 priests, religious and saeteomin were present.

One of them, Dong Young-soo, was able to enter South Korea in 2003. Immediately after Msgr. Kim, he took the floor: "I can do more than take note of many unjust things. For example, I do not understand how it is possible that the saeteomin are part of the third class of the Korean society, where even the ancient Chinese with Korean ancestry live in better conditions than us".   What may seem like a complaint of a classist system is instead a bird’s eye view of a cross-section of modern South Korea: according to your social class, in fact, you have access to certain types of education or work.

Precisely on this point, for example, Kang Seon-hee intervened, "Here, all that I could find is a humble job, even though I would like to make a real contribution to the world in which I live. I can barely make enough money to scrape by, if I could I would contribute more".   In fact, the community of saeteomin is marginalized by the rest of the country: considered unreliable traitors at home, in the south are treated as perennial beggars.

According to Professor Ko Kyeong-bin, who teaches at the University of Seoul, "The agony of the 20 thousand saeteomin living here is of great concern. On the other hand, they are only the mirror of the 20 million North Koreans who would come to us after the reunification of two Koreas. We have a long way to go before being ready to welcome them in the right way. "

The academic, who led for many years the Department for the Reunification of the government, added: "It is a prejudice and discrimination against them that has resulted in a more difficult road to a new union between the two countries. We must change the way we act, so they may become the agents of a return to unity. At the same time they are also agents of evangelization".

Before closing the meeting, Msgr. Kim added: "This day has helped me realize the important mission we must perform, as soon as possible. I listened to the testimony of saeteomin and I was very impressed. I will pray to God that the day will soon come when we can all live the reconciliation of the two Koreas with one heart”.