The Second Border Called "Qualification" [Slate]

Depicting the Next Test After Freedom in "Hana Korea"

Hye-seon's Challenge Exposes the True Face of the Performance Society

Directed by Fredrik Sjoberg, the film "Hana Korea" tells the story of North Korean defectors. It does not follow the familiar narrative structure typically associated with such tales. Instead of depicting dramatic scenes of crossing the border, it begins by showing the journey to Hanawon, the government resettlement center. By focusing on the early stages of settlement, the film explores the weight of the lives that remain ahead for these individuals.

Movie still from "One Korea".

Hye-seon (Kim Min-ha) studies to become a nurse. Although the teachers at Hanawon encourage her to take an easier path, she shakes her head. Having previously risked her life to escape, she now faces a new test. The country may have granted her freedom, but she must prove her qualifications on her own. If escape is the first gateway, university entrance exams and professional certifications are the next hurdles.

This is not a story unique to Hye-seon. Young people in the city, weighed down by part-time jobs and fierce employment competition, pass by her side. For everyone, freedom and happiness mean different things.

This juxtaposition is no coincidence. In his book "The Burnout Society," Byung-Chul Han introduces the concept of a performance society. Whereas a disciplinary society controls individuals through prohibition and command, in a performance society, individuals become entrepreneurs who manage themselves. The distinction between exploiter and exploited disappears, and everyone becomes the subject who pushes themselves. The competition among young people in Seoul to build up their resumes, and Hye-seon's struggle to obtain her certification, share the same underlying logic.

Of course, Hye-seon's situation cannot be fully explained by competition in the performance society alone. There is an additional layer: the nation-state. Acquiring citizenship does not guarantee complete belonging. The portion that remains unfulfilled can be understood through Axel Honneth's concept of the "struggle for recognition." According to this theory, an individual only completes their true self when recognized by others and by institutions.

Still cut from the movie 'Hana Korea'.

The system of the Republic of Korea only grants Hye-seon the legal status of a citizen. It does not automatically confer social recognition. The nursing license is the second stage of recognition required, following legal status. Having crossed the border and become a citizen, she must once again demonstrate her abilities to become a member of society.

This two-layered structure does not weigh equally on everyone. The contrast is evident when comparing Hye-seon and Sook-hee (Kim Joo-ryoung). Hye-seon has yet to earn her certification, and her journey toward that goal forms the core of the narrative. In contrast, Sook-hee does not even have the luxury to engage in the competition for qualifications. Having left her family behind in North Korea, she endures each day, torn between survival and longing. Starting from the same line, the two women walk at different paces.

Actual settlement statistics support these differences. According to the "Survey on Housing Environment and Local Communities of North Korean Defectors in South Korea," published by the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University in 2022, the first five years after settlement are referred to as the "golden time" in the defector community. Testimonies are repeated that failure to seize this period makes adaptation extremely difficult. Research also shows that it takes at least two years to become accustomed to Korean culture, and four to five years to become familiar with people.

Still cut from the movie 'Hana Korea'.

According to data from the Ministry of Unification, one out of every ten North Korean defectors who died in a given year took their own life. Over the past five years, 2,166 defectors have left for third countries due to economic hardship and social maladjustment. Even with settlement funds and support systems in place, the trajectory of their lives is harsh.

The framework of the performance society ultimately shifts the North Korean defector narrative from one of nationhood and ideology to one of qualifications in a capitalist society. However, it also perpetuates the illusion that everyone competes under the same conditions. The promise of fair competition is close to a mirage. In the face of the weight of life testified by statistics, Hye-seon's challenge has not even achieved half of its goals. Even after crossing the border, the tests never end.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.