1. The Trajectory of Traumatic Experiences and Mental Health Among North Korean Defectors
Minsu Kim, BA
Kristen Sun, MA
YongHwa Kim
JaeHong Yoon
Lisa M. Brown, Ph.D.
Peter Gillette, Ph.D.

2. Who are the North Korean defectors?
Defector: “A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is willing to avail himself of the protection of that country (Ko et al., 2004).”

3. Who are the North Korean defectors?
Currently, the number of North Korean defectors > 31,000 in South Korea.
Moreover, they live all over the world, such as Canada, Australia, Russia, China, the United States, and etc.
Due to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between South and North Korea, most North Korean defectors first have to go to China for their defection. However, due to the unfavorable political stance of Chinese police for the defectors, many North Korean defectors cannot directly enter South Korea but make a detour through third countries (mostly Southeast Asian countries), such as Thailand, Burma, Laos, or Vietnam.

5. Myths for the Defection of North Koreans
For North Korean defectors, defection refers to only defect from North Korea to China while people generally expect the defection should mean completing their journey by entering South Korea.
Although it is prohibited moving to another country without permission, it is not severely punished to go to China because it is considered as moving for survival (Ro-Dong-Gyo-Hwa-Hyung: hard labor or Ro-Dong-Dan-Ryun-Hyung: short-term imprisonment without being recorded).
However, if there is any intention shown to enter South Korea or a defector succeeds in entering South Korea, it is considered as committing a serious crime/felony (prison camp for a few years to decades)
It is common for female defectors to be sold by a defection broker (human trafficking) and to be forced to get married with Jo-sun-jok male (native Korean living in China). Therefore, female North Korean defectors outnumber male defectors.

6. Human Right Infringement and Risk Factors for mental disorders during North Korean defection
Prison Camp  PTSD/MDD/PDD/Anxiety disorders
Torture
Deprivation of food and medical services
Sexual and physical abuse/humiliation/exploitation
Human trafficking
Drug addiction (Opioid, Alcohol)
Separation from family  Depressive disorders
Constantly being exposed to life-taking threats  Anxiety disorders

7. Impact of The Traumatic Experiences during Defection
Considering the difficulties of the trajectory during their defection, many of them are often and inevitably exposed to traumatic experiences on the way.
In general, 30-40% of North Korean defectors were diagnosed with PTSD (Jeon et al., 2005)
30-50% of depressive disorder (Eom and Lee, 2004).
Also display higher psychosis and alcohol addiction rates (Ahn et al., 2014).

8. Testimony of a North Korean defector

9. Yong-Hwa Kim (김용화) “A Father of North Korean Defectors”
Rescued more than 7,000 North Korean defectors since 2001
Working experiences:
Entered The North Korean people’s Army (1970)
Promoted to Captain (1985)
Defected from North Korea (July 25, 1988)
Entered South Korea after seven years in China, Vietnam, Laos (July 25, 1995)
Imprisoned at Nagasaki Omura camp for two years (arrested on the suspicion of espionage; 1998)
Acquitted and Entered South Korea (2001)
Serves & works at Association of the North Korean Defectors, Freedom North Korea Soldier Union (Since 2002)
Serves as a chair at NK Refugees Human Rights Association of Korea (Since 2006)
Publication: Endless drifting of a North Korean defector; A confession of a North Korean defector

10. Yong-Hwa Kim (김용화) Working experiences:
Entered The North Korean people’s Army (1970)
Promoted to Captain (1985)
Defected from North Korea (July 25, 1988)
Entered South Korea after seven years in China, Vietnam, Laos (July 25, 1995)
Imprisoned at Nagasaki Omura camp for two years (arrested on the suspicion of espionage; 1998)
Acquitted and Entered South Korea (2001)
Serves & works at Association of the North Korean Defectors, Freedom North Korea Soldier Union (Since 2002)
Serves as a chair at NK Refugees Human Rights Association of Korea (Since 2006)
Publication: Endless drifting of a North Korean defector; A confession of a North Korean defector

11. Current Activities Helping North Korean defectors defect
Taking charge of about 40% of total North Korean defectors’ defection
He is called as “a father of all North Korean defectors.”

12. The Defection Routes of North Koreans
Route that Mr. Kim used
North Korean border  Yunkil/Shimyang in China  Gonmyung in China Laos  Immigration office at Chiangmai in Thailand
Routes that Mr. Kim currently uses to help other defectors
Shimyang (Mr. Kim takes charge)
Three more places in China (4 places in total)

13. Why do North Koreans defect?

14. North Korean Defectors’ lives and difficulties in China
Currently, there are 200,000 – 220,000 North Korean defectors in China.
Prevalent human trafficking for sexual exploitation (>50,000)

15. The Difficulties in Rescuing/Helping North Korean Defectors
The heterogeneity of North Korean defectors
General North Koreans
Patients
North Korean sold to decadent entertainment establishments
Politicians/ High-ranked people
North Korean spies
Staff in Reconnaissance General Bureau dispatched to Southeast/Northeast Asian countries (cf. Jihyun Lim – kidnapped to NK)
“42% of arrested North Korean spies in recent 10 years entered South Korea as a North Korean defector (DailyNK, 2013)”
Department of Defense- “92% of North Korean spies in South Korea are disguised North Korean defectors (Chosun Ilbo, 2016)”

16. What happens if a defector is caught by a Chinese police or a North Korean spy and to be sent back to North Korea?
If the defector is a high-level defector (e.g., diplomat, government officer)  executed by firing squad within three months
If the defector has contacted a foreign pastor in China or tried to enter South Korea  Prison camp
If the defector tries to do smuggle any items, or to contact/call a foreigner  Ro-Dong-Dan-Ryun-Dae
If the defector lives in China to make money  imprisonment for more than five years

17. What to expect for the North Korean defectors from International communities

18. Thank you your interest and attention to the human right issues among North Korean defectors!