Defection and the trouble with freedom | NK News
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September 23, 2026Sep 23, 2026

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Ask A North Korean

Defection and the trouble with freedom

This week's Ask a North Korean describes the hardships of adapting to a competitive society where one's life isn't planned for them

Every week we ask a North Korean your questions, giving you the chance to learn more about the country we know so little about.

This week Gabrielle Fostanes of the U.S. asks:

I would like to know what were your thoughts when you first arrived to South Korea?

After receiving three months of training at Hanawon (which provides newly arrived North Koreans with education to help them adapt to the capitalist, democratic South Korean society) after I arrived, I was finally able to come into contact with South Korean society.

No one welcomed us, though. The overflowing amount of freedom