“I confirm that the children in North Korea are being helped with my own eyes. So I have my trust and am willing to provide help.”
The Korea Daily met with Sun-rye Koo, who is set to showcase her photographs at this newspaper’s gallery on Oct. 15 and Oct. 16 to help children in North Korea. Koo has been helping North Korean children since 1999, partnering with her husband Yong-wook Koo in running an orphanage in Najin, North Korea, as well as helping 11 schools in the hermit country. She also contributes to evangelizing North Koreans as a missionary.
This year’s exhibit is Koo’s seventh after she first started in 2011. About 30 photographs will be showcased at the event. Most of the photographs were shot in the U.S., China, South Korea and North Korea. On the second day of the event, a separate series of everyday lives in North Korea will be displayed.
“I still remember how the American soldiers took many pictures in South Korea during the Korean War,” Koo said. “Those are embarrassing pictures to look at as Koreans. So we also agreed not to use photographs that North Koreans do not want to let out.”
It is reasonable to expect natural photographs of North Korea at Koo’s exhibit, but those who are seeking a different perspective on the country may be disappointed.
“When we cross the border, every single one of our many photos are reviewed,” Koo said. “Once they feel that certain photographs should not be shown to the outside world, they delete them immediately. It’s been that way since 2004.”
Koo said that she has never tried to hide a photograph to bypass the screening by the authorities. She hinted that even the photographs she will display on the second day of the exhibit will look similar to the landscape of South Korea during the 50s and 60s. Those photographs have also been reviewed by North Korean authorities.
Her husband, Yong-wook Koo, has built enough trust with the North Korean authorities that they do not sent a “guide” to follow him around during the trip.
When sending items to North Korean orphanages and schools, Koo measures every gram of the carbs contained in the food. Since 2002, Koo has been sending rice, beans, clothes, blankets and shoes to children in North Korea.
“When we first went there and prayed before eating, the North Korean authorities would all go outside,” said Koo. “Nowadays, they at least understand what we’re doing and stay alongside us even when we pray.”
All U.S. citizens in North Korea had to leave the country after an order was made on Sept. 1. However, Koo is still working with the Chinese authorities to help the children in North Korea.
By Byung Chang
