“How did you know that I’m North Korean? Don’t you think it’s funny when our friends make fun of me because I’m from North Korea? […] Actually, my dream is to make true friends here. Eun Byol, thank you for being my friend.”
These are the lines of Jin Hee, a high school girl being bullied by classmates for her North Korean origins in the play “Memories of Chagang Province,” which takes a close look at the experiences of North Korean defectors in South Korea. The part was played by Park Joo Yang, an actress who herself defected from the North. The play, which was hosted by “The Organization for One Korea: Saejowi” (director Shin Mi Nyo) and sponsored by the Ministry of Unification, was performed for three days from October 14 at Seowan Theater in Daehakro.
“Memories of Jagang Province” is an original play relating the stories of defectors from Jagang Province, including a construction site worker (Kim Hyuk Soo, played by Choi Chul Ho), a housekeeper (Kim Sul Hwa, played by Kang Hwa Rok), and a high school girl, following their efforts to make a new life for themselves in South Korea. A number of the actors are originally from North Korea and were casted through an audition, with some KBS voice actors also starring in the play. The aim of the project was to form a cultural bond of mutual understanding and to strengthen the national identity of the two Koreas via emotional exchanges seen through the medium of theater.
Three actors who defected from North Korea elected to participate in a training camp prior to the performance, as they harbored concerns regarding their lack of acting experience. But their efforts and rehearsals have paid off, with emotional performances conveying the joys and sorrows of defector life.
“The scenes in the play are common situations that occur in the real world everyday. I hope it helps the audience members to see defectors without prejudice, and make it easier for them to adjust to life here.” Park Joo Yang (actress) said.
Choi Hyo Myung (alias, defected in 2010), a member of the audience, commented, “I couldn’t hold back tears during the performance, as it reminded me of how I was treated differently because I came from North Korea. I prefer to say that I came from Ryanggang Province, not North Korea.”
“South Koreans also have various regions of origin such as Jeolla Province or Chungcheong Province. I want to be regarded as someone from an area that’s a little bit different, instead of just being labeled as a North Korean,” he added.
A South Korean member of the audience, Kim Yun Jung (aged 30, Gyeonggi-resident) said, “Before watching this play, I didn’t think much about defectors. Now I am heartbroken to hear that so many of them are leading difficult lives, like the characters in the play.”
“The most impressive part of the play was a scene where the mother cries in despair upon learning that the same daughter she risked her life for by bringing her from North Korea was being bullied as an outcast in her class,” she added. “I hope the people of South Korea can be more sympathetic towards people of different backgrounds,”
Director Shin Mi Nyo of Saejowi, the organizer of the performance, said, “The idea of performing a play came up during the defectors’ language training sessions at the Saejowi Language and Culture Institute as an effective way to gauge their achievements.
Unlike other plays about North Korea, which often center on stories about the prison camp system or the grim process of defection, this play sought to focus on the lives of defectors as they settle down, she said.
“The play was produced to improve the image of North Korean defectors in the eyes of South Koreans and promote compassion between them. Recently, a Theater Troupe for Unification was formed within Saejowi. It is our hope that this Theater Troupe can help to advance the process of reunification and contribute positively toward social integration thereafter,” she added.
