5.On the matter of employment; jobs are hard to find and the only available occupations are dangerous and dirty:

The speaker claimed that it is hard to get jobs in South Korea. Also, the speaker claimed that even if a defector finds a job it would be a job that South Koreans do not want to do. North Korean refugees are treated as foreigners, and jobs are not forthcoming. The only jobs that are provided are dangerous, for example working on a construction site, in heat treatment, or other hazardous works. Many people are harmed through this kind of work and they do not get medical treatment.
* The speaker paused the seminar for a moment and called upon a few audience members, asking them whether they think they would be able to find work if they escaped to such a horrible place.

6.On the matter of an official’s wages: South Korean officials get a monthly salary of KRW 2million. This amount makes it very difficult to live.

A government official’s wages are often 2,000,000 KRW per month. More than the half is taxed, and what is left is less than 1 Million KRW. With this money, they need to educate their children and feed their family. But food is extremely expensive, too. So a three-person family will struggle.
* The speaker said that defectors get about 1.2 Million KRW per month, after working for 9 to 10 hours a day. The speaker claimed that after taxation, the left over money is not enough to eat.

 

Next page: 7. On the matter of remittances sent to family in North Korea...

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