Elim Community classes provided a space for participants to share their personal journeys. These three accounts reflect the challenges of life in North Korea and the ongoing process of building a new life in the South.
The Strength of a Mother
One woman’s life in the North was marked by a difficult family dynamic. After she gave birth to four daughters, her husband—hoping for a son—hosted a week-long drinking gathering with friends. In the middle of the commotion as guests were leaving, someone accidentally stepped on her leg, breaking the bone.
Despite being told by doctors that she would need an amputation, she refused. She eventually crossed the Yalu River with her injury intact, though she now lives with a permanent disability. Today, her thoughts are often with the daughter she had to leave behind. She greets her daughter’s photograph every morning and evening, praying for the day when she will see her daughter again.
Enjoying a day on the Han River with other North Koreans
From Physician to Barber
One of our newer members is a former physician who spent years dispatched to Africa to earn foreign currency for the North Korean government. He shared that despite his high-level work, the state took all of his earnings, leaving him with nothing.
Three years ago, he and his wife defected from Africa to South Korea. The transition has been bittersweet; while they are safe, two of their children remain in North Korea. It is a topic he finds too painful to discuss openly. Because he does not have a South Korean medical license, he has pivoted to a new skill. He has earned a barber’s license and is focused on mastering these new technical skills while he considers further medical studies.
Finding Balance
“Mrs. C” joined our Pilates class after being introduced by another faithful student. When she first settled in South Korea, a church elder encouraged her to pursue an education in healthcare. She started as a nursing assistant and eventually graduated from nursing school to become a registered nurse.
But the excitement of earning her own money led her into a dangerous cycle. She took out a loan for a house and worked three jobs simultaneously to pay it off. Sleeping only two hours a day, she pushed herself until her health reached a breaking point. Now a regular in our Pilates class, Mrs. C has decided to change her pace. She is focusing on taking care of herself and enjoying cultural activities, learning that her well-being is more valuable than financial success.
