Defector politics: The political activism of North Korean saetmin [Le combat des activistes nord-coréens en Corée du Sud]

North Korean defectors advocating over the cause of North Korean human rights have started to assert themselves on the South Korean political scene. Their activities have attracted controversy in South Korea where much of the population holds it as axiomatic that unification is a future reality and subsequently place great faith in inter-Korean dialogue and economic assistance measures to achieve this goal. The activities of North Korean defectors, advocating for a more pro-active stance by Seoul over the issue of North Korean human rights, fly in the face of these widely held beliefs regarding the desirable trajectory of inter-Korean relations. Defector groups, nonetheless, have continued to proliferate. Recent moves by these organizations, to expand their realm of influence beyond advocacy and into activities such as broadcasting and leadership training, indicates the growing confidence of defector organisations.