An Inside Look at Hanawon

It is rare to be granted a look inside Hanawon, the first stop for North Korean defectors arriving in the South, but this summer the center opened its doors to international media in recognition of its 10 year anniversary, allowing journalists (and readers/viewers) a rare glimpse into the facility.

As a result of the media invite, the L.A. Times ran a story about the rehabilitation center earlier this month and just recently VOA released a video story about Hanawon and the experiences of the North Korean defectors who walk through its doors.

The center’s recent media invitation seems to have been received with mixed reactions. It has been described as a “propaganda ploy, talent show and sob fest,” (as per the L.A. Times) and indeed, certain instances between reporters and Hanawon residents make one wonder how prepared the residents were for the media invasion that blasted into their new worlds. From the L.A. Times:

Later, some of the 160 journalists touring the facility pushed to get a shot of two North Korean women at computers. The scene was so tense that one woman covered her face and ran from the room.

Several former Hanawon residents who returned for the anniversary were asked whether they missed North Korea.

“Why do you ask me that kind of question?” responded Kim, the pianist. “We’re supposed to be exemplary settlers.”

If the L.A. Times piece is accurate, you can’t help but wonder if sensitivity to the situation was disregarded in exchange for a public relations gig. (For what it’s worth, I believe it is possible to give exposure to Hanawon without compromising the individual dignity of those who reside there.)

But I wasn’t there so I don’t know how (dis)tastefully the media tour was executed. However, since it already happened, it’s worth taking advantage of the opportunity to see inside the facility even via tightly controlled media events such as what was offered this summer.

We should also take the opportunity to ask more questions: For example, within the decade that Hanawon has been in operation, what sort of measurable results can be obtained from its work? What role will such rehabilitation centers play in the event of a reunified peninsula? And what successes and failures can be taken from Hanawon’s efforts to be replicated (or avoided) in other facilities serving victims in other countries?