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North Korean Defectors Find Political Voice in the South

William Gallo

   SEOUL - Despite having only a few years' experience living in a
   democratic country, an increasing number of North Korean defectors are
   becoming involved in South Korean politics. For the first time, two
   North Korean defectors are participating in South Korea's legislative
   election, to be held in April. They hope to improve defectors' status
   in South Korea and change how South Koreans think of the North.

   Around 200 North Korean defectors are meeting in Seoul -- singing a
   folk song about the future unification of North and South Korea.

   They're trying to form the first South Korean political party made up
   entirely of North Korean defectors.

   Kang Chul-hwan is helping set up the party. He says no one represents
   the people of North Korea and that the approximately 35,000 defectors
   in South Korea are neglected.

   They could start to get a small amount of political clout this April,
   when South Korea holds parliamentary elections. Two North Korean
   defectors are running as members of the conservative opposition.

   One of them is Ji Seong-ho, a former North Korean street beggar who
   lost an arm and a leg during what he says was an attempt to steal coal
   from a train. Ji fled to the South in 2006 and is now a human rights
   activist.

   Ji says he belongs to the younger generation, and as a defector and a
   disabled person living in Seoul, he hopes to accomplish many things for
   Korea.

   Ji says he was spurred to run for office after South Korea forcibly
   returned two North Korean fishermen in November. Seoul accused the men
   of killing their captain and 15 other crewmen but many defectors said
   the move amounted to sending the men to almost certain death in North
   Korea.

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