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North Korean defector finds 'heaven' in Sancheong despite devastating floods
🇰🇷 South Korea /Disasters & Emergencies

North Korean defector finds 'heaven' in Sancheong despite devastating floods

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Kim Myung-sil, a North Korean defector, has settled in Sancheong, South Korea, and cultivates strawberries.
  • Sancheong experienced severe natural disasters, including a major wildfire and devastating floods in the past year.
  • Despite losing her strawberry greenhouses to the floods, Kim is determined to rebuild and sees Sancheong as her "heaven."

Kim Myung-sil, a North Korean defector who settled in Sancheong, South Korea, is cultivating strawberries and embodies resilience in the face of devastating natural disasters.

Why do you think Sancheong is heaven?

— Kim Myung-silKim Myung-sil's statement about her new home.

Sancheong was hit by two major disasters last year: a wildfire in March that burned a vast area, and unprecedented floods in July. The floods, with over 600mm of rain in three days, caused widespread landslides, destroyed farms, and resulted in fatalities. Sancheong was declared a special disaster zone.

Kim lost over 30 strawberry greenhouses to the floodwaters. Despite the immense financial and emotional toll, she refused to be defeated. She waded through knee-deep mud, working tirelessly with a shovel to salvage what she could, driven by the thought of rebuilding for the next year.

Of course, my eyes went black when I saw the damage. I wailed when I saw the disaster site.

— Kim Myung-silDescribing her reaction to the flood damage.

Kim, who endured decades of hardship in North Korea and China, views Sancheong not just as a place to live but as a "heaven" found after a life of suffering. Her story highlights her indomitable spirit as she plants her roots, much like her strawberry crops, deeper and stronger in her new home.

I had planned to get my son married in the fall, but the flood delayed it by two years.

— Kim Myung-silExplaining a personal consequence of the flood.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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