Performance Research A Journal of the Performing Arts ISSN: 1352-8165 (Print) 1469-9990 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rprs20 Growing Together Shin Eun Kyoung To cite this article: Shin Eun Kyoung (2016) Growing Together, Performance Research, 21:6, 98-102, DOI: 10.1080/13528165.2016.1239905 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13528165.2016.1239905 Published online: 01 Dec 2016. Submit your article to this journal View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rprs20 Download by: [141.2.185.20] Date: 01 December 2016, At: 16:43 Growing Together Emancipatory lessons from North Korean defectors’ art education in South Korea SHIN EUN KYOUNG In order to address some of the fundamental North Korean style and tried to enhance the queries concerning the meaning of art in our ‘cultural and technical sophistication’ (Kim time, and the necessity of art education, I would 1990a [1982]: 38) of the people with the purpose like to look into an alternative school for of promoting ‘Juche ideology’. In particular, he North Korean youth defectors in South Korea. created an authoritative genre of art as ‘the Matters of art pre-education are not only an anti-Japanese revolutionary arts’. The genre obstacle for North Korean youth defectors, deals with the model of anti-Japanese but also a problem that potentially affects the revolutionary fighters because Kim thought that art education of our time. People who provide such works of art could provide viewers with the education could easily deal with learners as opportunity to re-experience ‘what the they intend. North Korean life is dominated by revolutionaries in those days experienced’ (Kim the Kim family’s ideology; people there have 1988: 7,8). This genre of arts is widely promoted a distorted view of art, which makes them and taught by the government. Due to the ‘brain praise the North Korean system and intensify washing’ tendency and peculiarity of North the ideology. However, after entering to South Korean art, well-educated North Korean 1 The Korean word Juche is usually translated as Korea, defectors experience art in a different way defectors are often quite confused by the ‘self-reliance’. Juche, and their art education is similar to art therapy differences of arts when they are re-educated in a compound of Ju (owner, subject) and Che (body) in to remove their pre-education concerning art. South Korea. hanja (Chinese characters), That is to say, an education can also give liberty literally translates as ‘the to the oppressed person. Thus, I would like to owner of the body’. Kim EDUCATION OF DEFECTORS Jong-il wrote that ‘the introduce one example of emancipatory art basic advantage of our form of socialism (Juche) is education through looking at the North Korean Close to 30,000 North Koreans have resettled that it is a man-centred youth’s art re-education in South Korea. in South Korea. In the region of 20 per cent society, a society which of them are school-aged children (Han et al. considers everything with man at the centre and 2009: 3) who are suitable for normal schooling ART AND IDEOLOGY makes everything serve in South Korea. The problem is that due to him’ (Kim 1990:6). In 1955 Kim Il-sung ‘stressed the ‘Juche ideology’ (self-reliance ideology) is deeply the difficulty of adapting to life in South need to domesticate or engrained in the education of North Korean Korea, their attendance rate is as low as 57 per “Koreanize” communism’, i.e. ‘the foundation of youth, despite their having been challenged by cent according to a report from Ministry of self-determinant action’ experiences of famine and food shortages.1 Juche Education, Science and Technology (MEST)(Han (Lee 1981:29). ‘North Korea’s Juche is best ideology is the single fundamental pillar of their et al. 2009: 46). understood as the entire educational upbringing. North Korea’s art North Korea youth defectors in the early institution that has emerged out of the is also intended to guide the people towards the stage of entering South Korea often are interactions between Kim single thought and ideology of the Juche idea. characterized by poor growth from having Il -sung’s group and its challengers and between Kim Jong-il, a second-generation dictator, was experienced food shortages, underachievement the North Koreans and his father Kim Il-sung’s minister of culture. Early of standard academic levels due to a lack of outsiders, particularly the Soviets and Chinese’ (Suh in his ministerial role, he emphasized the proper education time, psychological disorders 2013:24). development of art and culture in a distinctly of varying degrees and culture shock from the 98 PERFORMANCE RESEARCH 21·6 : pp.98-102 ISSN 1352-8165 print/1469-9990 online http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13528165.2016.1239905 © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group PR 21.6 On Radical Education.indd 98 28/11/2016 11:26 differences between North and South Korea. Moreover, if they had left family members behind in North Korea, the North Korean youth felt more fear and uneasiness because their family would surely be in danger when the facts become known to the state political security department in North Korea. Additionally, there is much bias towards North Korean defectors and the bias is a widely prevalent view in schools and society (Kim 2004: 90–91). Most of them have ‘psychological health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)’ (Go 2014: 1). However, the level of PTSD can differ according to where and how they were educated, and whether they received therapy after settling in South Korea. Many guidance counsellors have home studying organizations across the country ■■Performance in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, witnessed that often when North Korean youths to help young defectors to adapt more easily 2 December 2015. Photo by get enough time for art activity, they overcome to life in Korea, and since then attendance has Setnet school their disorders or trauma (Jang 2007: 10). gradually improved. The drop-out rate has Research studies have reported youth decreased from 10.8 per cent in 2008 to 2.5 per defectors’ poor adjustment as causing difficulty cent by 2014 (Kim et al. 2015: 6). in studying and subsequently having dire effects on their education. An increased awareness of THE THEATRE GROUP SETNET the special needs of youth defectors has effected change in the environments of their education. From 22 November to 5 December 2015, the For example, teachers are widely informed theatre group Setnet was invited to Dresden and through handbooks and mentoring casebooks Berlin, Germany by the government agencies published on the subject. Fine art, theatre, and (including the Saxony State Chancellery) as music therapy for North Koreans have been part of the celebration of the twenty-fifth developed for integration into the curriculum, anniversary of German reunification. Setnet and are still being further developed. presented a seventy-minute, non-verbal Consequently, youth defectors are given more performance consisting of pantomime, puppet opportunities to attend alternative schools play, music concert, group dance, photo, video and after-school programmes where they are and shadow show called Vor dem Stacheldraht provided with individual tutoring. Regarding the … Duett für eine Stimme (Before Barbed Wire … underachievement of standard academic levels Duet for One Voice). Photographs and video of North Korean youth, alternative schools material showed the history of division and and study rooms provide students with the fratricidal tragedy during the Korean War. The opportunity to take mainstream classes (maths, short film piece was based on the true story of science, social science, English, world history a youth defector’s resettlement in Seoul. Such and Korean language) for school qualification materials helped the audience understand examinations and college entrance exams. Art Korean history and North Korean defectors’ is not a major subject in school, but it is treated recent lives in South Korea. Union, recovery, as an important subject for the development of peaceful coexistence and renewal were the main students’ social adaptability and psychological themes of the work (Koreaverband 2015). therapy. Since 2004, the South Korean Setnet Theatre consists of North Korean government has established more than thirty students at the Setnet Alternative School in different types of alternative schools and group South Korea. Setnet School started in 2001 SHIN : GROWING TOGETHER 99 PR 21.6 On Radical Education.indd 99 28/11/2016 11:26 as simply a weekend school to help children students have an opportunity to perform on adjust to Korean culture. It was expanded stage. On the homepage of the Setnet School as an alternative cultural school for North website, principal Park Sang-young explains the Korean youth in 2004 (Setnet 2010) and now reason for emphasis on art activity: specializes in art activities such as theatre The most important goal of Setnet education and performance. Setnet has an educational is communication. We should learn the various philosophy that differs from other typical skills for communication, such as peaceful schools in South Korea, and academic subjects communication between body and mind, are split into five themes: equal communication between I and other, warm communication between I and thing, and flexible 1. Fundamental subjects for settlement in South communication between I and world. These Korea Society (Language, English, Math, Society, skills cannot be learned only in the classroom; Science, History, Korean Culture, and Religion) instead, we should go out and test them and let 2. Consultation and art activity subjects for them fill our own lives.… We aim to provide our the formation of a positive mind (Elective art students with various cultural and art activities activity courses: Music, Fine Art, Dance, Folklore, because they should develop a healthy relationship Theatre Play; Guidance counselling sessions for with themselves and get a flexible and effective developing studies) communication capability.