Originally compiled and written by North Korean defector and author Lim Il, this English-language edition, thoroughly annotated by Dr. Adam Zulawnik, is a fascinating collection of 34 interviews with highly prominent North Korean defectors residing in South Korea, ranging from religious figures, to artists, politicians, North Korea experts, and even divers and subway train operators.

The 33 interviews herein are listed chronologically according to the interviewees' date of arrival to South Korea and span almost 70 years. The book also includes six special columns addressing key issues pertaining to North Korean defectors and their lives in South Korea, such as the relationship between North Korean defectors and their South Korean counterparts (South Korean defectors to North Korea; nomenclature (how North Korean defectors have been referred to in South Korean society over time); arrival and settlement provisions from the South Korean government; the nuanced difference between defectors, defector-residents, and the displaced; North Korean defector-residents and their position in South Korean politics; and a short biography of five notable North Korean defector-residents who were not interviewed. The English translation also contains an exclusive 34th interview with Lim Il, the source text author which was carried out towards the end of the project in October 2020.

The book is a valuable testament to North Korean defector-residents and unique in that it provides a candid account of each individual's experience. It will prove to be especially useful to students and scholars seeking to understand the complex dynamics of North Korean society and the status of exiles in South Korea, and a vital resource for students of Korean Studies.

About the Author

Lim Il is a regular contributor to Tong'il Shinmun (Unity News). He is himself a North Korean defector, having previously worked as a construction worker in Kuwait. He has authored multiple books in Korean.

Adam Zulawnik is an Academy of Korean Studies Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Monash University, Australia. He was a founding member of the Korean Studies program at the University of Melbourne, Australia. His current research focuses on the translation of the Korean and Japanese languages in political and historical settings.

Reviews

"Dr. Adam Zulawnik has given us a true masterpiece through his collaboration with Lim Il on Interviews with North Korean Defectors. It holds nothing back in understanding the pain and suffering, joy and desires of those who have escaped from one of the world's worst regimes. It is raw, honest, and candid. Nothing out there compares. The work will make you laugh, make you cry, but most of all, inspire you as a powerful testament to the human spirit. This book is your hard evidence that despite the brutal tyranny of the triple Kim dictatorships, the spirit of the Korean people, their love of family and their homeland could never be crushed. It is extremely timely as we see so much growing discontent among the North Korea people that so desire change especially as they learn more and more about South Korea's thriving prosperity. This book introduces us to the very actors in the defector community who are working for the peaceful liberation of their homeland - most of whom plan to return to rebuild and invest so that prosperity and hope can return."---Ms. Suzanne Scholte, Seoul Peace Prize Laureate; President, Defense Forum Foundation; Chair, North Korea Freedom Coalition; Chair, Free North Korea Radio

"Through these personal interviews, which are deeply intimate and tear-jerking true stories, the reader obtains a human-faced and close-up portrait of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), its society, and the people's sentiments. The jigsaw puzzle pieces of North Koreans' faces come together as mosaics in a greater authentic portrait story and faithful imprints of reality."---Dr Gabor Sebo, Lecturer, Yonsei University

"This book is different, in that there is minimal interpretation. The interviewed speak for themselves, so that the reader can see 'an accurate reflection of North Korean language', to quote Adam Zulwanik's introduction."---Dr James Hoare, author of Historical Dictionary of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (2012).

Book Information
ISBN 9780367716158
Author Lim Il
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g