North Korean Defectors Share The Biggest Culture Shocks They’ve Experienced Living In South Korea

“I couldn’t believe that…”

Four North Korean defectors recently sat down for an “imposter” game on Pixid‘s YouTube channel. In the video, the four shared their experiences escaping North Korea, including flying to South Korea by plane from China with a fake passport and traveling through China and Thailand to get to South Korea.

| Pixid/YouTube 

Upon arriving in South Korea, some of the “biggest culture shocks” included how often South Koreans were on their phones.

| Pixid/YouTube 

And that hot and cold water comes out of the same tap.

| Pixid/YouTube 

They were also surprised by places that were open for 24 hours straight.

| Pixid/YouTube 

And that some people were unemployed in South Korea. In North Korea, the regime gives you your job, which means everyone is working. Although notably, “they don’t pay you.”

| Pixid/YouTube 

And everyone agreed that the language was also a culture shock, as South Koreans frequently use abbreviations and English.

| Pixid/YouTube 

This means that, even though they “use the same language,” sometimes it is difficult for the defectors to understand signs in South Korea.

| Pixid/YouTube 

Another difficulty that the North Korean defectors faced upon moving to South Korea was the absence of childhood friends they grew up with, making them feel lonely in their new homes.

| Pixid/YouTube 
| Pixid/YouTube 

But they also shared that South Korea has programs to help defectors adapt to life in South Korea, which is how the defectors could identify the imposter, as he claimed he had been recklessly spending with his new credit card.

| Pixid/YouTube 
| Pixid/YouTube 

You can watch the full video here.

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