Interview with Kim Young-il, Executive Director of PSCORE

People for Successful COrean REunification (PSCORE; 성공적인 통일ìâ€ž ë§Å’들어ê°â‚¬Ã«Å ” 사람들, aka 성통ë§Å’사) is a small NGO that works on “democratization, human rights and social issues. [They] hope to bridge the gap between South Korea, North Korea and the international community.”

They mostly aim their programs, such as essay contests, a one-on-one tutoring program, a summer English camp, and cultural outings, at students, but they’ve held at least one seminar for the public at large (last Spring).  Mark your calendars for their next big event the afternoon of Friday, November 27th, in Seoul:  an International Youth Conference on the topic of “Human Rights Issues of Stateless North Korean Defectors.”

Three years ago PSCORE had no office in Seoul as they struggled to get off the ground.  Then they had donated office space at a couple different locations and a few volunteer staff.  But since the turn of the year, they’ve taken a dramatic step forward into their own office and a small but full-time, paid staff — made possible by a grant from the DRL at the U.S. Department of State.  Now they even have a presence in DC.

PSCORE was co-founded and is headed by Kim Young-il, who escaped North Korea to China several years ago with his family, who then eventually were able to escape China and make their way to Seoul.  I first met him in the Summer of 2006 at a LiNK Seoul chapter meeting.  At the time he was finishing up his undergraduate studies as a Chinese language major.  We got to know each other better while doing a language exchange (uh, that was Korean-English, no Chinese for me just yet).

Kim Young-il with Suzanne Scholte at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies, Oct. 9, 2009

In addition to being grateful to Young-il for taking the time to answer questions, I must give a big thanks to our mutual friend, Jisoo, from our LiNK Seoul days, who first translated the questions into Korean and then translated Young-il’s answers back into English.  (We did everything in writing over email.)

Finally, Joshua, who has met Young-il, was the one who suggested doing this interview.  In fact, he suggested it so long ago, I wonder if he even remembers doing so (well, that or he’s wiping his eyes right now to make sure he didn’t just see this).  The first two questions below are his.

What plans does PSCORE have for rebuilding the North when the opportunity arises?  What are you doing now to prepare for that time?

All NK refugees wish to participate in rebuilding NK and to speak on behalf of the interests of the people in North Korea. But we must be cautious here. Only when the people in North Korea are informed about the existence and roles of the NK refugees settled overseas and when they think they really need our help can the participation in this activity be legitimate. So the North Korean refugees in South Korea should actively participate and take a lead role in NK freedom and human rights activities and achieve successful results. We can stand before them without having anything to be ashamed of only when we (who have benefited from living in a liberal environment) have tried our best to help our brothers in North Korea.

PSCORE is doing its best to nurture talented people who can participate in unification activities. North Korean refugees who are well adjusted in South Korean society people are able to understand both societies and can act as bridge-builders. Reeducated teenage North Korean refugees who adjust well in SK society can help greatly reduce unification costs by sharing positive aspects of SK society with North Koreans and also by reeducating them. Therefore, PSCORE is currently giving free lessons to NK teenagers in Korea by teaching them subjects that they find most difficult such as English, mathematics, essay writing, computer skills and other foreign languages (Chinese, French). PSCORE recruits volunteers (South Korean university students, businessmen/women, foreign exchange students and private school teachers) who can offer free lessons and connect the teachers and students together based on the needs of the teachers and students. Currently, 140 students are benefiting from this program and there are about 520 teachers so it’s been quite successful.

We believe that the volunteers are also valuable assets for unification. Most of the volunteers are very interested in NK human rights issues and by meeting NK teenagers they have come to understand the reality of what’s going on in NK. Moreover, these volunteers understand more about NK’s society and its people more than the average person. Therefore, these volunteers who work in various fields can surely become bridge-builders when the time arrives to rebuild North Korea.

Personally, I believe there is still a lot more to prepare for NK’s rebuilding. First of all, we need to closely research and analyze other countries that have had a similar experience (division and unification) as Korea. Also, I am collecting data on countries that have changed from a socialist market economy system to a free market economy.

Also, I have created various scenarios in rebuilding North Korea and am trying to find the right prescription for each scenario. For example, ways to deal with a situation where the NK government suddenly collapses instead of gradually turning over the reigns of the government, where NK slowly wants change due to China’s or international society’s pressure, or where the North Koreans themselves take charge of changing the regime for democracy.

Many people think Korea must be unhappy because it has remained divided unlike Vietnam, Yemen and Germany. However, I believe that although unification may come much later compared to other countries, we have the advantage of being able to prepare in advance and avoid problems that may occur during unification.

I have made a list of immediate issues to resolve if the system in North Korea collapses:
-Block neighboring countries’ and powerful countries’ excessive military intervention and send a special envoy so that they remain neutral
-The issue of sending basic necessities to stabilize the livelihoods of the NK citizens in a short period of time
-The issue of dealing with NK’s army and integrating it with SK’s army
-The issue of running an election to elect representatives from each area in NK
-The issue of establishing an organization that will rule NK’s transitional administration
-The issue of restricting NK citizens’ sudden migration and allowing them to have a stable life
-The issue of returning those who have suffered political oppression from NK’s government back to society
-The issue of amending Korea’s constitution so that it embraces North Koreans
-The issue of establishing a special law only for NK territory
-The issue of dealing with treaties and agreements that NK had formed with other countries
-The issue of extreme economic stabilizing policies
-The issue of investment promoting policies to allow international financial groups to actively invest in NK
-The issue of establishing a protective law to protect the rights of NK citizens
-The issue of uniting North and South Korea’s politics, economy, culture, military, etc.
-The issue of transferring the NK government’s property to the citizens
-The issue of planning to build SOC (Social Overhead Capital) to establish economic infrastructure
-The issue of healing pains from division that still exist among the North and South Koreans

How have popular attitudes in South Korea toward North Korea, reunification, etc., changed recently?

It’s unfortunate but the interest of South Koreans in reunification is gradually decreasing. This is due to the fact that people aren’t convinced that the benefit of a successful unification is great if we are willing to endure a short painful period. Many citizens have a distorted view of North Korea due to South Korean politicians. This can be considered one of the reasons why South Koreans’ interest in unification is so low. I will continue to inform the world that Korean unification is necessary for Korea’s next generation and also for Northeast Asia’s peace and prosperity.

Most of your staff is from South Korea, but you originally are from North Korea.  What has working with each other during the last 2-3 years taught you and your staff and members about what the reunification process itself might be like?

Whereas North Korean refugees think reunification must be done as soon as possible to solve immediate problems such as NK human rights, South Koreans wish for a reunification that plans to minimize the shock within South Korean society. We believe that the opinions of both parties ought to be equally acknowledged. At our office we have good times where we laugh together as we work, but there are times when conflicts arise because we cannot agree with each other. But all this process and experience is valuable in realizing a more successful unification.

Not many people who’ve escaped North Korea such as yourself are involved in North Korean human rights issues.  What do you think about this?

It’s true that there are not many. But nearly all refugees in South Korea realize the urgency of the matter and agree that it should be improved as soon as possible. There is no need for all North Koreans to be involved in social (human rights) activities. It’s sufficient that they give their best in whichever field they are in and that they adjust well in South Korean society. But the North Korean refugees have a mission to not forget the pain their families and friends back in North Korea have to go through and to always think hard and act upon what can be done for them.

Why do you focus on reunification instead of concentrating on the more fundamental goal of liberation and some form of self-determination for the citizens of North Korea?  Doesn’t the reunification talk turn off many South Koreans, especially the younger generation?

When I first formed the organization we only focused on NK human rights issues. But along the road we realized that improving NK human rights was not the only solution. For many people’s participation and support, their opinion must be acknowledged and respected. We needed a longer term vision and strategy. From a South Korean’s perspective, just by improving NK human rights, NK can become democratized and when the dictatorship collapses it will naturally lead to unification. Also, South Koreans fear that as in Germany, unification will lead to massive expenses so the economy can suffer. To resolve such issues a successful unification should be made to benefit both North and South Korea. For a successful unification NK human rights and democratization should be solved first.

What can non-Koreans on the individual level do to work toward freedom for all Koreans?

First I hope they can take the time to listen about the serious humanitarian issues that are on-going in North Korean society. Increasing their interest little by little can help the North Koreans live a better life as human beings. I ask that the citizens of the world come together to help improve human rights in North Korea.  Moreover, I hope they realize and support the fact that Korean unification is very necessary not only for peace in Northeast Asia, but also for world peace.