U.S. and Korean students raised their understanding of the plight of North Korean refugees at a rare meeting with North Korean defector students in Seoul last week.

Harvard University students on an eight-day exchange program with Ewha Womans University experienced one of the highlights of their itinerary last Thursday ― a dinner with defectors who attend universities here.

“We were so fortunate to have the opportunity to meet defectors from North Korea. It was a really enjoyable dinner. We talked about their lives in North Korea and China and ways we can raise awareness of what’s happening with North Korean refugees,” said Courtney Grogan, a junior majoring in political science at Harvard University. 

Grogan is one of the 14 students who came to Korea from March 10-18 under the Harvard College in Asia Program, which provides cultural and academic exchanges with seven universities across Asia, including Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

In a meeting closed to the media, they listened to shocking stories defectors told them about how they escaped North Korea, with some repatriated back to the country, and how they succeeded in finding freedom.

One of the students, whose name was withheld, escaped from North Korea in 1999 right after he graduated from high school without telling his parents, but was returned to the country and imprisoned in a labor camp, from which he later escaped again into China.

“None of us could do such things he experienced when he escaped. But he said he’s just a normal guy seeking freedom,” said Ross Ford, a senior majoring in sociology.

“He was the only son with three sisters, but dared to cross the border to seek freedom and finally was able to come to the South,” said Park Shin-won, an Ewha student who attended the meeting.

Despite having different backgrounds and experiences, the students said they found common things to share, especially in light of popular culture and school life.

“We didn’t realize until (one of the defectors at the dinner) mentioned he’s North Korean,” said Ford, mentioning how his clothes and the music he listened to were similar to his culture.

They now hope to raise awareness of North Korean refugees in the U.S. and South Korea.

“We talked about the issue of the repatriation of North Korean defectors in China, and how we thought to get more people aware of forced repatriation and get more signatures for the campaign against it,” said Cynthia Wu, a junior economics major

Another student thought they could add some insight into their ongoing study.

“I am doing research on the relationship between China and the two Koreas, including Chinese policy towards North Koreans,” said Grogan. “Issues surrounding North Korea are important to the entire world.”

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