Reading Material: North Korean Defector's Tumultuous Journey
Introduction
Vocabulary
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 탈북민 | talbukmin | North Korean defector | A North Korean defector had put down roots in Jeju for 13 years. |
| 보위부 | bowibu | North Korean intelligence agency | The Bowibu, North Korea's intelligence agency, lured him back into being a spy. |
| 다시 | dasi | again | He was lured back into being a spy again in March 2015, just 3 years after defecting to the South. |
| 간첩 | ganjjeob | spy | It turned out that the North Korean defector was actually a spy. |
| 회유 | hoiyu | to coax, to lure | The Bowibu coaxed him into becoming a spy again in March 2015. |
| 내연 관계 | naeyon gwangye | intimate relationship | The two developed an intimate relationship. |
| 덜미 | deolmi | to be caught, to be apprehended | His suspicious actions were ultimately caught by the police and prosecutors. |
Reading Text
제주에 13년 동안 터를 잡고 살아온 탈북민 최씨는 알고 보니 북한 보위부의 정보원이었다. 최씨는 2011년 8월 탈북해 남한에 귀순했지만, 3년 만인 2015년 3월 다시 보위부의 회유에 넘어가 간첩 활동을 하게 되었다. 결국 지난 3월 재판에 넘겨졌고, 출소 후에도 수사를 받고 있다는 소식을 접했다.
A North Korean defector named Mr. Choi had put down roots in Jeju for 13 years, but it turned out that he was actually an informant for North Korea's Bowibu intelligence agency. Choi had defected to South Korea in August 2011, but just 3 years later in March 2015, he was lured back into being a spy for the Bowibu. He was eventually put on trial last March, and even after his release, he is still reportedly under investigation.
2006년 9월 다시 국경을 넘은 최씨는 A씨를 만나 내연 관계로 발전했다. 최씨는 하나원을 거쳐 2012년 3월 제주에 터를 잡았다. 그리고 다시 보위부 정보원의 길로 들어서게 된 것이다.
In September 2006, Choi crossed the border into North Korea again and met a man named Mr. A, with whom he developed an intimate relationship. Choi then went through the Hanawon resettlement program and settled in Jeju in March 2012, only to become a Bowibu informant once again.
최씨의 수상한 행동들은 결국 경찰과 검찰에 덜미를 잡혔다. 그는 출소 후 얼마 지나지 않아 또 수사를 받고 있다는 소식을 접했다.
Choi's suspicious actions were ultimately caught by the police and prosecutors. Shortly after his release, he reportedly came under investigation again.
Grammar Points
-게 되다 come to / end up
Attached to a verb stem to express that something came to happen or ended up happening, often due to external circumstances. Formation: verb stem + -게 되다.
📖 3년 만인 2015년 3월 다시 보위부의 회유에 넘어가 간첩 활동을 하게 되었다. In March 2015, three years later, he was swayed by the security bureau's persuasion and ended up engaging in espionage activities.
✏️ 우연히 그 책을 읽게 되었어요. I ended up reading that book by chance.
-(으)ㄹ 것이다 will / probably
Used here as -(으)ㄴ 것이다 (past modifier form) to assert or emphasize a fact. The pattern -(으)ㄴ/ㄹ 것이다 expresses assertion or emphasis about a situation.
📖 그리고 다시 보위부 정보원의 길로 들어서게 된 것이다. And that is how he ended up entering the path of a security bureau informant once again.
✏️ 그래서 결국 실패하게 된 것이다. And that is why he ultimately ended up failing.
Cultural Notes
The case of Mr. Choi highlights the ongoing challenges faced by North Korean defectors in adjusting to life in South Korea. Despite initially defecting and seeking a new life in the South, the lure of his former homeland and the coercion of North Korea's intelligence agency ultimately led him back into espionage activities. This underscores the complex psychological and political factors that can influence the decisions of North Korean defectors, even years after their initial escape.
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