Kang Jihyun

I’m a North Korean resettler and have been living in South Korea for 12 years now. When I was 15 

I visited Paektu Mountain with my family and saw for the first time in my life a foreigner. It was a big guy, with ripped jeans and a bit of a messy beard. My first thought was, "Why is there a homeless looking foreigner walking around Baekdu Mountain?". My family assured me his style was some kind of western fashion and that he must be quite rich to be able to visit this place as it's not easy for foreigners to visit Baekdu Mountain.


It was a sensational shock when I learned that his clothes were a fashion. The fact that the ripped outfit, an immediate indication of homelessness in my country, could be a fashion item was a revelation for me.

From that point on I dreamt of becoming a fashion designer and this has encouraged me to leave my country and resettle in South Korea in the future.


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