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brucefox
Joined: 23 Jan 2011
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 Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:34 pm Post subject: Has Anyone Actually... |
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Seen, met, or got to know North Korean refugees in South Korea?
I couldn't believe my eyes, but I saw a couple of them inside the Suwon Immigrations Building when I was picking up my VISA. Not that I could tell from their looks, people around made it very clear to me that they WERE in fact from NK.
Poor people looked so lost and scared.
Now I am hearing that there's almost over 20,000 of them living in SK disguised as SK's. Almost all of them in Gyeonggi Privince where their state-taught Seoulite accent will more easily blend them in. Apparently the native Koreans can easily pick em out even with the fake accent. Pretty wild stuff. I read some articles on people (ESL) that taught them that kids or adults they make the most studious and great students.
I am just super curious about them. |
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cheolsu
Joined: 16 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:04 am Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually... |
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I've met a few. They're just ordinary people with varying degrees of success transitioning to life in South Korea. The accents are quite different from standard Korean and a significant problem for them. Their accents aren't fake, it's basically the equivalent of an Australian who moved to America trying to sound American because Americans wouldn't hire Australians.
I'm not sure why North Koreans would be in an immigration office, though. They're South Korean citizens because South Korea doesn't recognize North Korea. |
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PigeonFart
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:20 am Post subject: |
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| actually one time i.... |
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interestedinhanguk
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:53 am Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually... |
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| cheolsu wrote: |
I'm not sure why North Koreans would be in an immigration office, though. They're South Korean citizens because South Korea doesn't recognize North Korea. |
This statement needs to be qualified with more information. |
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 6:35 am Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually... |
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| cheolsu wrote: |
| I've met a few. They're just ordinary people with varying degrees of success transitioning to life in South Korea. The accents are quite different from standard Korean and a significant problem for them. Their accents aren't fake, it's basically the equivalent of an Australian who moved to America trying to sound American because Americans wouldn't hire Australians. |
Wouldn't that be a fake American accent? While I've heard way more dodgy Australian accents coming from Americans, I've also heard my share of very shaky American accents coming from Australians. |
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cheolsu
Joined: 16 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:35 pm Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually... |
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| interestedinhanguk wrote: |
| cheolsu wrote: |
I'm not sure why North Koreans would be in an immigration office, though. They're South Korean citizens because South Korea doesn't recognize North Korea. |
This statement needs to be qualified with more information. |
South Korea doesn't officially recognize North Korea as a country. Officially, the entire Korean peninsula is part of the Republic of Korea. So, when North Koreans come here, they're given South Korean citizenship after their story is verified, with attention paid to being a North Korean spy or a Chinese citizen of Korean ethnicity who has not so much as set foot in North Korea, but wants South Korean citizenship nonetheless
Accounts of this process in Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy (one I recommend if you're interested in daily life in North Korea) describe North Koreans coming in on fake or stolen passports from China. At Incheon Airport, they declare themselves as North Korean defectors. They prove it by drawing a map of their city and answering other questions about their life in North Korea.
I can't imagine why any North Korean living in South Korea would not be a South Korean citizen. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:05 am Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually... |
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| cheolsu wrote: |
I've met a few. They're just ordinary people with varying degrees of success transitioning to life in South Korea. The accents are quite different from standard Korean and a significant problem for them. Their accents aren't fake, it's basically the equivalent of an Australian who moved to America trying to sound American because Americans wouldn't hire Australians.
I'm not sure why North Koreans would be in an immigration office, though. They're South Korean citizens because South Korea doesn't recognize North Korea. |
Pretty much my experience with them as well. Different ages, different personalities. Many shared stories.
Not easy for them here though. |
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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:03 am Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually... |
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| Ruthdes wrote: |
| Wouldn't that be a fake American accent? While I've heard way more dodgy Australian accents coming from Americans, I've also heard my share of very shaky American accents coming from Australians. |
One who does a good job is Anna Torv (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1396022/) |
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brucefox
Joined: 23 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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| But how the hell can you tell they are NKs? And above all, how did you get to meet them?! That is freaking awesome. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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It's usually pretty easy picking out a guy trying to hide their accent in most languages. And subtle things like a wrong word can also help.
On a side note, there are a lot of older people with North Korean accents in the south. Probably 15% of the 60+ people grew up in the North. So it's unlikely you'll meet them unless you like hanging around old people. In the the movie 'Sympathy for Lady Vengeance' there is an old women in jail that speaks with a Northern accent, if you're curious what it sounds like. |
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brucefox
Joined: 23 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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I can barely tell the difference between Seoulite accent and Busanite accent. My co teacher tells me the new teacher we got here from Busan is trying to hide his accent but they all sound like they are from Seoul to me.
I guess I have a long way to go before I can spot an NK by listening to them talk. |
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cheolsu
Joined: 16 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 7:26 am Post subject: |
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| brucefox wrote: |
| But how the hell can you tell they are NKs? And above all, how did you get to meet them?! That is freaking awesome. |
In all the cases where I met North Koreans, it was obvious. Three of them were introduced as North Korean defectors, and I met one at a North Korean restaurant.
I can tell the difference between the Seoul dialect and other dialects, but I can't tell which one I'm listening to. A North Korean and someone from Chungcheong sound the same to me. |
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