Nodutdol | 노둣돌
Nodutdol | 노둣돌

@nodutdol

13 Tweets 16 reads Aug 17, 2022
Some north Korean defectors have achieved global fame for their horrific and tear-jerking stories about north Korea. But behind their stories is a web of political schemes and cash incentives, intended to advance US imperialism.
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A handful of north Korean defectors have become human rights celebrities. But not everyone who leaves north Korea identifies as a defector. "Defector" implies a political motive, but most leave for economic reasons, and some plan to return.
english.hani.co.kr
Defectors get cash incentives for juicy stories. In 2017, the south Korean government announced it would pay defectors up to $860,000 for “sensitive information” about north Korea, like details about the government or military.
nytimes.com
“Celebrity defectors” are also paid to tell shocking stories about north Korea on TV. The reality TV show "Now On My Way To Meet You" features young female defectors and is part defector testimony, part beauty pageant.
Yeonmi Park is the most famous celebrity defector. She is paid up to $41,000 per speaking event. Many of her stories have been proven to be complete lies.
thediplomat.com
Meanwhile, defectors who do not make money spinning stories about north Korea experience precarity and discrimination in south Korea.
Defectors' unemployment rates are double the national average, and their income is about 2/3 the national average.
nknews.org
Celebrity defectors are also supported by imperialist institutions.
Yeonmi Park has been funded by the Atlas Network, a libertarian and anti-communist think tank based in DC. The Atlas Network has supported right-wing coups in Brazil and Venezuela.
theintercept.com
Defectors inspire imperialist policies toward north Korea.
In 2005, George W. Bush invited Chol-hwan Kang to meet with him in the White House. 15 days later, Bush issued sanctions denying north Korea access to US financial and commercial systems (Executive Order 13382).
Defectors’ stories have immense power to escalate military violence. The 2003 US invasion of Iraq was largely based on the false testimony of an Iraqi defector who claimed he had worked on weapons of mass destruction.
nytimes.com
We must be critical of our sources and hone our ability to identify imperialist propaganda. We cannot let high-profile defectors lead us toward war and sanctions.
The only way we can build a liveable future for all Koreans is through peaceful and self-determined reunification.
newstapa.org/article/Lqk7a
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