A North Korean defector is to pursue studies to help his home country’s economic development with a scholarship in Britain this fall.

Oh Se-hyuk, 34, is the first defector to be granted the U.K. government’s Chevening Scholarship, which he received on April 17.

“I am planning to study development models for underdeveloped countries and will pursue study for unification, especially development of North Korean society and economy and maximizing efficiency and impact of food aid,” said Oh. 

Oh left his hometown in Hwanghae province, North Korea in 1999 when he was a college student. He crossed Tumen River on the border between China and North Korea and stayed in China for three years with the help of a religious organization. He requested political asylum in April 2002 at the German Embassy in Beijing and flew to the Philippines after the country granted him permission. He arrived in South Korea later that year.

After completing courses at the South Korean government resettlement center for North Korean defectors, Oh resumed the studies he had been forced to quit after crossing the North Korean border. He studied Chinese language at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and was later admitted to Korea University’s graduate school of sociology.

“I was first motivated to study Chinese and English when I attended several events organized by the religious organization that was helping me in China. At the events, I became very much interested in communicating with foreigners by English,” recalled Oh.

“In college, I decided to further study Chinese language, in which I felt competent when speaking. Later, I wanted to study something that could contribute to the democratization and development of North Korea so I applied to the graduate school of sociology at Korea University,” said Oh.

Currently working as an intern at the Asia Foundation, a non-profit organization for development, Oh hopes to improve his English and international mindset while studying in Britain and later play a major role in leading the development of the North Korean economy at international organizations such as the United Nations.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)