North Korean defectors to the South have been relying on “brokers” to send money home to their families. With no legal way to transfer funds to North Korea, these middlemen operate at huge personal risk.
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Secret calls using smuggled Chinese phones are made at remote locations. Code names are used. “It is like a spy movie and people are putting their lives on the line,” says one of the brokers, Hwang Ji-sung.
If they are caught delivering money in North Korea, they face 15 years in jail or worse, a political prison camp. On the other hand, the practice had been tolerated by authorities in South Korea until recently – but not anymore.
BBC Korean talks to some of the brokers who believe they are helping North Korean defectors support their loved ones back home.
00:00 Introduction
00:54 “They call us brokers”
01:34 The video letter from a mother in North Korea
03:22 “I was a money courier in North Korea”
02:07 Brokers raided by police
04:27 Risky phone calls to North Korea
05:56 Brokers’ secret operation
07:02 “Delivering money is like a spy movie”
08:43 ‘Kim Jin-seok’, the lorry driver’s story
10:13 “The money is the lifeline of my family in North Korea”
11:51 “North Korean defectors won’t stop sending money”
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Out of all countries in the world, I feel so blessed I wasn't born in n. Korea.
Yikes!
What a world 🤷
❤😢
Um, don’t send money to North Korea
This is crazy and north korean defectors dont have to go through a journey of extreme daanger to go outside of north korea if your main purpose is to work so u can send money to yout family. Do they know that kjm jong un are sending contrauction workers in qatar factory worker in vietnam cambodia and china. Oh my god whats happening. Once u decided to defect forget your fanily out there because your pitting their lives in north korea
– [ ] I thought north korean defectors cut ties to their families left for their safety and sending them money obviously not helping them both sides. Not worth the risk and if im south korean i would really think that theres spying in here. North korea will allow u to go outside of country and work and u can send money to your family because thats 1 ways n. Korea earning money too. This is crazy non sene
Thanks for producing this! Witnessing what is happening and what people going through really touches you on so many levels. Clean, ethical and helpful journalism at its finest!
good day
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