On the same day North Korea and Russia announced a new military alliance, a letter surfaced online from a North Korean mother urging her son, a soldier in the Korean People’s Army, to escape and seek freedom.
The letter was published on December 5 by New Joseon, an anti-regime activist group resisting the North Korean government.
Titled “Letter from a mother of a member of the North Korean Free Democratic Party who enlisted her son in the Korean People’s Army,” it captures the poignant anguish of a mother uncertain about her son’s whereabouts or well-being.
The letter begins with a heartfelt message: “I am writing this letter with the hope that it will reach you, even though I do not know if it will reach you.”
The writer expresses fears stemming from rumors that North Korean soldiers have been deployed to fight in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
She writes, “There is a war going on in a country called Ukraine, and I want to know where you are now, how you are doing, but I can’t find out anything. I feel so resentful of my incompetence. I feel sorry and heartbroken because I can’t take any responsibility as a parent.”
The mother questions the lack of transparency surrounding the situation, stating, “Why do you have to go to a war that hasn’t even been mentioned on TV until now? Her letter reflects the confusion and despair experienced by families left in the dark.
She adds, “I have many questions, but no one can explain them to me, and I can’t ask about them, which makes me even more anxious.” Her words convey the stifling reality of life under a regime where seeking information can lead to severe repercussions.
Toward the end of the letter, she hints at defection as a path to freedom, writing, “If you are in great pain there and want freedom in life, if you have the opportunity to live freely, do not worry about your parents and find your own path. Don’t be afraid, go your own way.”
The identity of the letter’s author remains undisclosed. However, New Joseon claims the letter originated within North Korea.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
