Ken Eom can still remember the day he escaped North Korea.
It was in the winter of 2010, and as a soldier in the North Korean military, he had been psychologically abused and malnourished.
“We only got 100 grams of rice per meal, about half a coffee cup,” Mr Eom told SBS News this week.
“There is [a] lack of medical care and [a] lack of food, many soldiers died during their military service.”
With no choice but to flee, Mr Eom swam across a freezing river to a van waiting on the Chinese border.
“The Chinese army inspected all the vans but luckily the Chinese army did not check our van,” Mr Eom said.
“That was a very lucky moment.”
North Korean refugee Ken Eon, centre, recently graduated from the Korea University Graduate School of Public Administration. Source: Supplied
Now settled in South Korea, Mr Eom views this week's summit in Hanoi between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as “better than nothing”.
“Reunification [of North Korea and South Korea] is my dream … [but] I think politically, reunification is not going to happen… It’s not concrete peace,” Mr Eom said.
“I actually don’t care about the regime … I just want to visit my hometown and meet my friends and fellows, my relatives and family members.”
A military parade in North Korea. Source: AAP
After one of his relatives disappeared and is believed to be in a political prison camp, Mr Eom says those who speak out against the North Korean government are scared.
“They give punishment[s] to their family and relatives … [because] in North Korea nobody can talk about the North Korean government except worshipping Kim Jong-un … It’s violating human rights.”
But Mr Eom hopes the second summit in Hanoi will put words of peace into action.
“I think this summit is better than Singapore. The Singapore [summit, in June 2018] was only announcing,” Mr Eom said.
“In this moment, I expect the North Korean regime could dismantle the Yongbyon Nuclear facility [North Korea's major nuclear facility] … also, the United States could ease UN sanctions such as [allowing] tourism for Mount Kumgang.”
Mount Kumgang is a North Korean town and region on the border which has been cut off from visitors since 2008.
Mr Eom attributes the summit’s occurrence to the US President.
“I like Trump because I think if Hillary Clinton became the President of The United States, I think the summit would not have happened.”
“When Trump ran for the President of the United States, he said ‘I want to meet Kim Jong-un and have a hamburger.’ I think that was very impressive.”
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Source: AAP
Today, Mr Eom helps refugees like himself find their feet in South Korea, through the organisation Teach North Korean Refugees (TNKR).
Based in Seoul, it has so far assisted 380 North Korean defectors, providing free English tuition.
An Australian education
With more than 30,000 North Koreans having fled to South Korea, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, a lack of English language skills is cited as one of the major barriers to resettlement.
This was the case for Ann*, a North Korean defector who fled to China at the age of 14 to financially support her family.
“It was very tough living in China without any papers… [but] I did not have any future back at home in North Korea,” she told SBS.
“I'm the oldest. I always felt that I have a big responsibility to take care of the family.”
Having relocated to South Korea, Ann recently travelled to Sydney as part of the UTS Insearch scholarship program for former-North Korean students.
Undertaking a 30-week program of English tuition, Ann reflects on her time in Sydney as “the brightest time of my life”.
“Because of this scholarship to learn language skills which is very essential, I feel more confident about the future."
Despite the program helping her adjust to her new life in South Korea, Ann says she is keeping her expectations low for a peace deal during the Hanoi summit.
“I have decided not to pay attention to this summit,” she said.
“I put too much hope on the first one [in Singapore]. In that moment, I thought I could see my grandmother again who still lives in North Korea.”
South Korean soldiers stand guard in front of North Korea's main building in a joint security area at the border village of Panmunjeom. Source: AAP
Although Ann has crossed the globe to ensure her safety, she says she still dreams of going home.
“I pray really hard this meeting will end successfully so that I might be seeing my grandma and friends by taking a train from Seoul to my hometown.”
The Hanoi summit marks the second meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Kim. The talks will attempt to implement a pledge for North Korean denuclearisation and a formal declaration, ending the Korean War.
*Ann’s name has been changed to protect her and her family’s security
