Korean Youth toward Reunification: Tong Tong Concert

Joori Choi, NKHR Education Team Program Officer

In May, NKHR held a student-focused “Tong Tong Concert” at Daejung Techincal High School in Daegu, about 200km south of Seoul. NKHR’s Tong Tong Concerts typically consist of music programs and talk shows to raise awareness about the North Korean human rights situation. The Korean word “tong” can mean “all” or “communication”—as the name of NKHR’s awareness program, “tong” signifies that notion that North Korean human rights and reunification issues need the attention and interest of all people all ages.

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The concert began with a performance by the renowned North Korean pianist, Cheol-Woong Kim, who escaped North Korea in 2001. Following his performance, a discussion was led by young North Korean escapees Hyuk Kim, Chun-Kang Park, and Sungju Lee. Because the audience was comprised of male high school students, the talk focused in particular on North Korea’s military and education systems. Although both North and South Korea require military service for their young men, the students were stunned that the military service in North Korea is ten years (South Korea’s service is three years).

In addition to sharing their personal experiences, the speakers discussed several aspects of North Korean society. Sungju Lee explained that although North Korea is technically one nation, the huge inequalities between people living in Pyongyang and the other regions makes North Korea more like two separate societies. The stories of Hyuk Kim, who wandered North Korea as a homeless child, touched the hearts of the students in the audience. He told the young men about his long journey to build a new life in South Korea after living as a kkotjebi in North Korea.

Throughout the rest of the year, NKHR will organize additional Tong Tong concerts throughout Korea, including Seoul, Busan, Chungcheong, Jeolla, and Gangwon. We hope the concerts provide South Korean youth with a better understanding of North Korea and inspire the students to help take steps to prepare for the reunification of Korea.