My view as a South Korean

As a South Korean, I don't blame the resident of North Koreans who are suffering from the government. I blame everything on Kim Jong Il as it is him who has caused all of this disaster. I wish South Korea would add in a unit in their normal education that would understand the importance of unity of the two nations. Bet the people here who dislike the North Koreans have experienced torture and have seen death under communist regime *SARCASM*

Discrimination and lack of understanding is everywhere

It doesn't matter which country you are from, and which country you are going to. When you are so different and your values are so different, then the locals will find that you don't fit in and resentment builds up - the local kids will make fun of you at school and the adults will at best make jokes about you and at worst discriminate against you. I think education is the key - we will have greater compassion when we understand where people have come from and their journey to a better life

South of the divide

The biggest hurdle to reunification may not be the USA, China or North Korea, but South Korea. As time goes by the South's younger generation has little connection to the North as their parents or grandparents did, and are less and less willing to soak up the financial burden that any reunification may present. This attitude is represented in the story where the town which was to hold the educational facility arched its back at the prospect of refugees being schooled in their town--Like Aus...

Laughing.

The laughing school-girls gave it away. Who would tell stories of people starving to death and laugh? If these horrific conditions exist in North Korea, SBS would have no trouble in sending a camera team there and show us some evidence. Propaganda is so easy to spot. Every mention of North Korea showed goose stepping soldiers backed with sinister music. A "hermit Kingdom"? Nonsense! I saw a modern city in the background. Murray is right. This story line is as false as Saddam's WMD's.

Unbelievable

For North korea to starve their people to death so they can build an army to intimidate other countries that are more successful is absolutely unbelievable. How can the leader be so heartless? There must be so much hatred and who would blame them.

Learning liberty

I felt very sad for those people who live in north Korea. They had to suffer the suppression from those dictator ship. Sadly today China, Vietnam continue support that regime. Hope for freedom for those people in north Korea still a long way to come.

Hard being on the lowest rung of capitalism

I found the culture shock of having to fit into an ultra competitive, capitalistic society and interesting part of this piece. Despite many of the horrendous conditions experienced by the refugees at home in North Korea, it seemed that many aspects of their newly adopted South Korea were also incredibly difficult for them to endure, such as class discrimination, and constant insecurity and hardhsip at being on the bottom rung of the labour market.

It's all about Seoul

I agree with Bernard here. Not just to the farms, but South Korean people have this obsession with living in Seoul, so much so that on the chuseok festival the motorways out of Seoul are just one great big car park. There are many opportunities in the country areas of South Korea as more and more farmers children leave the family home and move to Seoul. Most importantly there is a life style that is much less competitive, and much more friendly than Seoul.