Those who flee North Korea to South Korea often convert to Christianity in their new homeland. The reason for this is by no means always a belief in the Christian God, but often pure lack of money.
When Yeonhee spent her first few times in a church, she was shocked by the hell she came from: “The pastor said North Korea is the work of the devil. Anyone who feels comfortable there is evil. That’s why you have to pray a lot for North Korea so that there can finally be peace and this regime ends.” home. And of course she was miserable there. Otherwise she wouldn’t be here today.
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The 32-year-old arrived in liberal South Korea twelve years ago to find a way out of poverty. His mother sold illegally caught animals to help the family make ends meet. At home, there was enough to eat, but there was often a lack of electricity. Yeonhee’s escape route initially led across North Korea’s northern border to friendly neighbor China, from where she was able to travel to South Korea more than a year later. But even though she finally heard her native language again in South Korea, Yeonhee felt alien just as she had felt in China.
