‘They don’t care for us’: North Korean defector teachers fight for higher wages



News ‘They don’t care for us’: North Korean defector teachers fight for higher wages Instructors say low pay is driving away those who can help children of defectors navigate South Korean school system Ifang Bremer May 26, 2022 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Instructor Choi Geumsil (left) and director Nam Bada of PSCORE, May 2022 \| Image: NK News Ever since she started working, Choi Geumsil has always been a teacher. It was her job back in North Korea, where she gave lessons under the watchful gaze of the Kim leaders’ portraits, and it became her profession again after she defected in 2009 to South Korea. And it was in that adopted country, at an elementary school in a Seoul suburb, where she could be found on a recent afternoon leading a class of eleven kids between the ages of 6 and 12 — all children of North Korean defectors. Ever since she started working, Choi Geumsil has always been a teacher. It was her job back in North Korea, where she gave lessons under the watchful gaze of the Kim leaders’ portraits, and it became her profession again after she defected in 2009 to South Korea. And it was in that adopted country, at an elementary school in a Seoul suburb, where she could be found on a recent afternoon leading a class of eleven kids between the ages of 6 and 12 — all children of North Korean defectors. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

News

‘They don’t care for us’: North Korean defector teachers fight for higher wages

Instructors say low pay is driving away those who can help children of defectors navigate South Korean school system

Ifang Bremer May 26, 2022

‘They don’t care for us’: North Korean defector teachers fight for higher wages

Instructor Choi Geumsil (left) and director Nam Bada of PSCORE, May 2022 | Image: NK News

Ever since she started working, Choi Geumsil has always been a teacher. It was her job back in North Korea, where she gave lessons under the watchful gaze of the Kim leaders’ portraits, and it became her profession again after she defected in 2009 to South Korea.

And it was in that adopted country, at an elementary school in a Seoul suburb, where she could be found on a recent afternoon leading a class of eleven kids between the ages of 6 and 12 — all children of North Korean defectors.

Try unlimited access
Only $1 for four weeks

Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period
The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting

Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.

Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.

‘They don’t care for us’: North Korean defector teachers fight for higher wages

Try unlimited accessOnly $1 for four weeks

Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most –

as selected by

One more step!

Trending

Recent Stories

About the Author

Ifang Bremer

Try unlimited access
Only $1 for four weeks

Start your day with
the North Korea stories that matter most –