North Korean defectors in China face a cruel irony: As routes to South Korea tighten, their bid for freedom through fake IDs comes with a catch. Forgers now demand sworn promises, backed by guarantors, that defectors won’t set foot in the very country they dream of reaching.
Speaking anonymously, a source in China told Daily NK on Tuesday about the various obstacles facing defectors who hope to get their hands on some fake ID.
According to the source, it used to be possible to buy a fake ID as long as you had the money, and the ID card allowed some defectors to board a plane to South Korea. But now, even defectors who can afford the ID card have to swear off any intention of going to South Korea and find guarantors to back up that pledge.
The source said this development has been disheartening for defectors planning to enter South Korea using a fake ID.
“Nobody wants to be a guarantor because if the defector is caught traveling to South Korea on a fake ID, the guarantor could face legal consequences, too,” he said. “The whole point of making a fake ID is going to South Korea, so there’s no point in bothering with one if you promise not to go. Even flying to South Korea on a fake ID is no longer an option.”
A defector living in China’s Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture told Daily NK, “Faced with the prospect of living out my life here without any freedoms, I tried to go to South Korea. When that attempt failed, I looked into the safer option of making an ID for a flight there. But not even that is feasible anymore, so I’m unsure what to do.”
Another defector living in Shenyang, Liaoning province, shared her struggle. “It’s frustrating to imagine spending my whole life here at home without visiting the places I’d like to see. I’d been planning to save money to make an ID that would get me into South Korea. That’s out of the question now, which breaks my heart,” the defector said.
The source told Daily NK, “Many defectors who want to go to South Korea can’t work up the courage right now because of how common it is to be caught on the way. Many defectors in that position feel desperate because, try as they might, they can’t find a safe way to escape China.