Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
by Pascale Rizk
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - It was a "December horribilis” for South Korea. Amidst political turmoil and lives lost in the latest plane crash, the clouds of sadness and pain do not seem to leave the sky of the “Land of Morning Calm”.
With the opening of the year 2025, which marks the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation and vivision of Korea, the Jubilee Year of Hope also begins with the Papal Bull of Indiction “Spes non confundit” (Hope does not disappoint). And it is precisely this hope, “contained in the heart of every person”, that leads Korean Catholics to continue their journey even in their daily modus operandi.
This is attested to by Sister Ester, who accompanies one of the two groups of young people born in North Korea who, after fleeing years ago with their mothers, have now been settled in South Korea for a decade.
Proud and determined, these young people study hard, facing the urgency of fully integrating into the demanding "efficiency" of the metropolis. In their personal stories they have faced countless obstacles and separations.“Ten years ago, about 200 political refugees arrived in this area alone; today barely one person arrives every six months. Since the Covid pandemic, the borders have been closed and remain closed. Surveillance is increasingly strict,” explains Sister Ester Palma, a Spanish missionary who, together with her fellow sisters - a Belgian, another Spanish, a Korean and a Polish - belong to the community of the Servants of the Gospel of God's Mercy: a young community, of diocesan right, that has been working for 18 years in Daejeon, the fifth largest city in South Korea.
Committed since her arrival in Korea to various ministries, Sister Ester collaborates with a group of about 12 people called 영한 우리- we the youngest, coordinated by the Franciscan Fathers. This group meets in Seoul once a month for two hours, always concluding with a mass and a dinner together.
“The meeting usually begins with an informal chat and board games to break the ice. Koreans, and especially North Koreans, are very shy, so they need time to open up and feel comfortable,” adds the missionary. “The second part of the meeting focuses on topics such as peace, knowledge and personal development. They are young and want to question themselves more about their existence and their future,” continues Sister Esther.
Leaving North Korea always happens in a very complex way. Freedom of movement is very limited or almost non-existent. “Most of the young people arrived when they were between eight and nine years old. Today, in their twenties, they have lived a decade in South Korea. Initially, they leave North Korea with their mothers, since women have greater freedom of movement than men. Because of the market economy, they go to China to sell goods and then disappear, never to return, with the help of ‘middlemen’. If they are arrested, they face expulsion for entering illegally. “This is where other brokers come in, who take them to Thailand or Laos and finally to the South Korean embassy,” explains Sister Ester, emphasizing how everything is planned in advance and how how costly this process is. “They may make a new life in China, find good people and form new families, giving up fleeing to South Korea.”
Once in South Korea, they obtain political refugee status after a long selection process. They are given passports and, when they enter South Korea, they are sent back to the relevant offices and are examined again. “The process is emotionally and humanly exhausting,” says Sister Ester, originally from Granada.
During their stay in the refugee centres, they have a first “contact” with the work of the Church. There, a three-month training programme teaches them about the banking, educational and religious systems, helping them to understand society. Young people are encouraged to come face to face with different faith and spiritual communities, and through encounters with the religious men and women who serve at the centre, an initial curiosity can grow thanks to the affection and feeling of protection they feel. An encounter and an experience that can also lead people to ask for baptism and choose to become Catholic.
For those who wish to do so, the nuns make their homes available after the training period. At this point, the young refugees have already received a South Korean passport, an identity card and a mobile phone. “With different forms of help, accommodation and scholarships, they are supported until they manage to adapt to society, which happens when they get a job and achieve an independent life,” explains the Spanish sister.
Even when they do not choose to embrace Catholicism, young people participate in groups known as “clubs”, where they develop a strong pride in the decisions made. However, they suffer from great concern for the relatives they have left behind, whom they miss deeply, because they are not sure they will be able to meet them again. They believe in the possibility of changing their destiny while avoiding revealing their origins and avoiding questions such as “where did you do your military service?” or “did you visit your grandparents during Chuseok?”. These questions, common among South Korean youth, could expose them to prejudices that label them inferior, poor or communist. Tired of repeating their stories, many choose silence even in front of those who show genuine interest.
After two years of intense learning of the Korean language, Sister Ester and her community have gained respect for their dedicated service to the mission of the Church. “In this work of emotional management, I seek to help each young person discover their talents, abilities and weaknesses, to understand what they are called to and what path of life they wish to follow. I would like to convey to them the hope and mercy of God, so that they do not remain trapped in the past,” says Sister Ester. According to the religious, emotional healing is a gradual process that, when it comes to young people, has better prospects of success than in adults.
Sister Ester also stresses the importance of cultivating a positive image of North Korea as the only way to peace and reconciliation.
This approach aligns with the 2021 message of Bishop Simon Kim Ju-young of Chuncheon, who encouraged Catholics to pray daily at 9 p.m. an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Gloria for peace on the Korean peninsula. “In addition to praying for peace, let us act for peace in our families, communities and society, remembering our brothers in North Korea and fostering solidarity through love and sharing,” the Bishop urged.
North and South Korea have been divided for more than seventy years. Although the Diocesan Commission for Reconciliation and Unification of the Korean People is present in all dioceses, the real perceived desire is to continue living in peace. However, a recent survey by the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University shows that 35% of respondents consider unification to be “completely unnecessary” or “not especially necessary.”
It is worth noting that representative surveys, such as this one, are based on responses from 1,200 adults, 47.4 percent of whom are between the ages of 19 and 29. Despite the steady growth of South Korean GDP since the recession, this generation faces job uncertainty. Large companies dominate the economic landscape, limiting opportunities for small businesses and reducing available jobs. In addition, the corporate system tends to reward loyalty over skills, which aggravates the disillusionment of young people, who see few prospects for advancement in a labor market controlled by older generations.
Furthermore, the preponderance of concentrations in large companies in South Korea has made it more difficult for small businesses and reduced the number of jobs available. (Agenzia Fides, 3/1/2025)
