Children Without a Nation

Children do not choose their parents or the circumstances into which they are born but they often are the unintended victims of all that is wrong in the world.  Two examples have come to my attention in the last week.

The first are children of immigrant women in South Korea.  Because of historical per-birth gender selection, there is a shortage of women in South Korea, particularly in poor and rural areas.  The void is being filled, at least to some extent, by "mail order brides" from poorer countries.  Unfortunately the children of these unions often face prejudice, discrimination, and bullying. In the Korean movie "A Wonderful Moment" (English title) one little boy has a happy ending.  But happy endings can be hard to find.  The Sarang school in Seoul is a relatively new international school created to give these children a refuge and an education.  The renounced violist, Richard O'Neil (himself of mixed race) has used his musical talents to create an orchestra made up of mixed race children in South Korea.  These are small steps, but changes in attitude are slow.  There is a long way to go before these multi-culture children are accepted into the mainstream.

Life can be even harder for mixed Korean children in China where escaped North Korean girls and women are often trafficked for sex.  The Chinese government works closely with North Korea to repatriot escaped citizens.  The women not returned to North Korea are subject to imprisonment in China, leaving their children alone or with Chinese relatives who may not want them or be equipped to care for them.  Because they have a Chinese father, even if he is unknown, the children cannot enter South Korea as refugees.  They are left in a state of limbo, often without Chinese papers and with nowhere to go.  Many are homeless and without a country that will claim them.

Helping Hands Korea is an organization that works to help North Koreans in crisis.  (http://www.helpinghandskorea.org/). They have been able to help a number of the needy and abandoned Korean-Chinese children, but for every one they are able to help there are probably thousands more who need their help.  One of the biggest frustrations for the group is the lack of support they receive from South Korea and even from the United Nations.  Their work is dangerous because it is not sanctioned by China or North Korea.  The U.N., government, and many private agencies are afraid to step on Chinese toes even though they are aware of the incredible human suffering endured by the people of North Korea.