Supporting North Korean Defectors: The Essential Role of Hana Centers

A defector in her 30s expressed, “I received a lot of education at Hanawon, but especially lifehacks for living were tremendous.”

The official name of the Hanawon she mentioned is the Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees. As an agency under the Ministry of Unification, it was established in 1999 to handle the initial settlement of defectors. Most defectors entering South Korea go to this place after being jointly investigated by government agencies. They typically stay here for three months, receiving settlement education and preparing to enter South Korean society.

As we entered the era of 30,000 defectors, the first center was established in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, followed by a second branch in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, in 2012. Both branches offer more systematic education. According to the Hanawon, women stay at the main office, while men stay at the branch.

According to the government, the educational goal pursued by the Hanawon is to support defectors so they can find and pioneer their independent career paths once they enter South Korean society.

As a result, the Hanawon offers a variety of career education courses in various fields such as hair, nail art, makeup, skin beauty, tourism, hotel industry, nursing and domiciliary care, cooking, baking, the basis of electronics, machine assembly, sewing, repair, laundry, etc. It is known that Hanawon recently established and operates an IT experience center that introduces the latest electronic devices, such as AI speakers, in response to recent trends.

During their stay at the Hanawon, defectors take classes in areas of interest and talent in 22 professions, including sewing, cooking, baking, nursing, domiciliary care, and skin care. If they pass the exam, they acquire the relevant certification. It is known that a considerable number of defectors who have acquired nursing care certificates and various other certificates at the Hanawon have entered society.

While the number of defectors tended to increase steadily, it decreased drastically with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the world. Due to the impact of the coronavirus, North Korea has closed its borders for a long time, causing a sharp decrease in the number of defectors, and as a result, the number of defectors entering the Hanawon has dropped to about 3% of the previous level.

According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Unification, the number of defectors entering South Korea, which had been consistently recorded in the 1,000s with 1,137 in 2018 and 1,047 in 2019, dropped sharply to 229 in 2020, the year immediately following the outbreak of the coronavirus, and dropped significantly to 63 in 2021.

Although the center is replenished with the latest facilities, like AI equipment, the number of incoming defectors notably diminishes. In particular, the arguments for consolidating and closing the Hanawon arose because when the number of defectors entering the facility decreased drastically, the government invested the same substantial budget and workforce to operate the center.

The Ministry of Unification announced on December 21 last year (2023) at the National Assembly plenary session that the budget for 2024, including new project items, was finalized and disclosed.

The Ministry of Unification has allocated 222 billion won ($187 million) for the general account, and 874.4 billion won ($737 million) for the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund. The combined total boasts a vast resource of 1.964 trillion won ($1.66 billion).

The Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund has been reduced by a whopping 27.9% compared to the previous budget due to the suspension of exchange cooperation projects caused by the deterioration of inter-Korean relations.

Seo Jeong Bae, the director of the Hanawon Settlement Support Center, introduced the situation, saying, “Since the opening of the Hanawon, we have been operating with more than 1,000 people, but the number of admissions has decreased after the coronavirus situation.”

He also introduced a medical facility, Hana Clinic, within the Hanawon, where defectors can treat health problems that occurred during the defection process. The Hana Clinic operates six departments, including dentistry, internal medicine, and Korean medicine.

The Hana Clinic once faced problems due to a shortage of medical personnel before the spread of COVID-19.

According to data from the National Assembly in 2019, the number of doctors at the Hana Clinic, combining the main center (Anseong) and the branch (Hwacheon), was only 11, recording a low number compared to the number of defectors.

An official from the Hanawon said, “After conducting a comprehensive examination at the Hana Clinic, if it is determined that treatment at a higher-level hospital is needed, they are moved to a larger cooperative hospital,” and added, “Many defectors are expressing gratitude for the warm help of the medical staff.”