Defining Moments 조화와 혼돈

"In grammar school, we had a class called “right, ethical living”, mostly propaganda about North Koreans.  The textbook depicted North Koreans as sub-humans, drawn in red and looking treacherous.  At that time I was afraid of them.  Later, one of the ways I became politically aware began when I discovered that what I learned about North and South Korea as a child might not be exactly the way it is.  When I started questioning that, I started questioning a lot of other things."  - Helen Kim

"I had brothers and a sister who fled to the north. Actually, I don't know if it was "fled" or not; I never asked.  That was simply too painful for me.  Even after the war, if people thought you had family in the north or worse, relatives who went to the north, it was really hard for you.  If people asked me, “did your family escape from the north”, sort of an acceptable story, I just said ‘yes,’ proving I’m affiliated to the south.   Then I am without any family history, no personal story. Separated families don’t have any soul, any speech at all.  I was castrated. That is a kind of trauma for Koreans.  I tried to be neutral but it’s impossible.  The only thing is to hide my identity." - Min Yong Lee