Proud tattoo in N.K. turns into ‘scarlet letters’ after defection

Despite scorching hot weather, he could not wear short-sleeved clothes in summer due to "Kim Il Sung flower" tattoo on his left arm. When he rolled up his sleeve even momentarily due to hot weather, he received a flurry of questions, “What does this tattoo mean?” People’s curiosity always turned into suspicion without fail.

The tattoo inscribed on North Korean defector Lim Jeong-hoon (49, alias) afflicted him as if it was the "scarlet letters," since he moved to South Korea in 2010. Kim Il Sung flower is an orchid group flower, which Indonesian President Achmed Sukarno named when the late North Korean founder Kim Il Sung visited Indonesia in 1965. Lim inscribed the tattoo without hesitance on his left arm in gesture of loyalty with his 20-something colleagues while serving in the military in the North. North Korean soldiers would consider tattoos containing words of loyalty as something to take pride in.

However, the tattoo, which he was proud when young, became the biggest obstacle to his settlement in South Korea. People did not care about this tattoo in the North, but people displayed strong disaffection to it in the South. His neighbors in the South who had treated him well started shunning him or scolding him saying “Only gangster would have such tattoo?” Due to tattoo, he failed multiple times in attempts to land a job. He can remove the tattoo through surgery, but he could hardly afford the cost.

While he had been in disappointment, Lim found an unexpected opportunity in May. He took surgery to remove the tattoo through support from Yongsan Police Station in Seoul and the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. Soon after removing the tattoo through surgery, he successfully landed a job. “I never expected the tattoo that I took pride when young would become a shackle ensnaring me in South Korea,” Lim said. “I am very grateful to people who enabled me to remove the tattoo and thus gave me a new opportunity in life.”

The program that provides assistance to North Korean defectors through plastic surgery and thus give them a new chance started in July last year. The program was launched when Yongsan Police Station in partnership with KSPRS started providing assistance for plastic surgery to North Korean defectors through doctors’ talent donation. Those who are eligible for the program are North Korean defectors who are having inconveniences in living and difficulties adapting to life in South Korean society due to their defective appearances including burns, tattoos and deformities.

As the program has become widely known among North Korean defectors since its launch last year, a growing number of people are applying for it to seek support. Eight people have received treatment thus far, but 33 others are waiting to get treatment. Through cooperation with doctors, police plan to expand assistances for North Korean defectors.

“We will continue operating the assistance program to help North Korean defectors who are having difficulties due to their appearance successfully settle as a member of our society,” said Kim Gyeong-sook, head of the security section (superintendent) at Yongsan Police Station who manages the plastic surgery assistance program for North Korean defectors, said,

hyuk@donga.com