Kim Ryon-hui: The North Korean Defector Who Wants to Go Home

Introduction: Who Is Kim Ryon-hui?

Kim Ryon-hui is a North Korean defector whose case defies the usual narrative. Unlike most defectors who flee the North seeking freedom or better living conditions, Kim has repeatedly expressed a desire to return to her hometown in Pyongyang. Since arriving in South Korea in 2011, her story has drawn increasing domestic and international attention, shedding light on the legal, ethical, and political complexities of defection and repatriation on the Korean peninsula.

Background: A Medical Trip That Changed Her Life

Born and raised in Pyongyang, Kim Ryon-hui worked as a dressmaker and lived what she described as a stable, ordinary life with her husband and daughter. In 2011, suffering from a liver condition, she traveled to China for medical treatment—legally, with North Korean government approval.

However, during her stay in China, she was reportedly tricked by brokers into crossing into South Korea. She claims she was unaware that entering South Korea would permanently sever her ties with her home country. Upon arrival, she was automatically classified as a defector by South Korean authorities, a designation that has had irreversible consequences for her status and freedom.

Life in South Korea: Isolation and Advocacy

Since her arrival, Kim has made repeated and highly publicized requests to be repatriated to North Korea. She has written letters to South Korean and international authorities, staged hunger strikes, and spoken to the press—efforts that have been largely ignored or denied by the South Korean government, which views repatriation as a violation of national security law.

Kim has lived in near isolation, unable to return to her family, and often stigmatized both by anti-North sentiment and bureaucratic indifference. Her case challenges the dominant assumptions about defection and raises moral questions about self-determination and human rights.

International Attention and Human Rights Debate

Kim’s case has caught the attention of international human rights advocates and media outlets. Organizations such as Amnesty International have criticized South Korea’s handling of her situation, suggesting that preventing her from leaving may violate her right to freedom of movement and family unity.

Her story also intersects with broader discussions about how both Koreas politicize defectors for propaganda purposes, often denying the complexity of individual circumstances.

A Symbol of Complexity on a Divided Peninsula

Kim Ryon-hui’s unusual situation illustrates the emotional and political cost of Korea’s division. While most narratives celebrate escape from the North, her case reminds the world that not every border crossing is voluntary—and not every defector sees themselves as one.

Today, Kim remains in South Korea, separated from her family in Pyongyang for over a decade. Her continued calls to return home stand as a powerful reminder that human stories often defy ideological frameworks.

Personal Thoughts

I think South Korea won the ideological war with the North a long time ago, but technically, the two countries remain at war. Our borders are closed off, along with our ways of thinking. No communication is allowed between the two Koreas. There is much fear and hatred on both sides, rooted in 70 years of division.

My grandparents came to the South during the Korean War and passed away without ever again seeing the family members they had left behind. I hope Ms. Kim can go home and reunite with her family sooner rather than later.

Authentic Photographs of Kim Ryon-hui

I made portraits of Ms. Kim for the German news magazine Der Spiegel. Coincidentally, my portrait was selected in Der Spiegel’s 2022 Year in Pictures. Please contact me directly for licensing inquiries.