The Boys

The coronavirus crisis that millions of parents Around The World are grappling with The Challenge of Home schooling. But A Man in Seoul has been a particularly difficult task.

Kim Tae-hoon, 45, 10 houses to The North -Korean boy, who defected from the repressive state, without their parents. The youngest is just 10 Years old, the oldest 22.

in General, you would be in school or University - in the case of the 22-year-old Gun-seong - But in the last month in South Korea

On the First Morning of the remote training, Kim, in an interview with The Bbc via a video-link, to shepherd The Boys Around a large table on The Second floor, where the wifi is strongest.

"I think you'd better put on your headphones, because The Sounds may be all Mixed Up during The Morning Assembly," he tells them.

As expected, there are starting difficulties. The confrontation with The Unknown on-line-systems, tech-devices borrowed from The Local education office is one of them.

The log-ins of Two of the guys that are in the same class were mixed, and a 15-year-old Geum-seong, who just defected to North Korea a year ago, is understandably more need of help than The Other . He is not to be used for the transmission of tasks online.

Meanwhile, Jun-seong, the youngest of The Family , is scolded for watching YouTube on his tablet.

Kim Says , But only Two Days later, the guys have an eye on in your new routine under his watchful.

Eight of Kim fees overflowed, without adults, either Alone or with siblings, and have No Other Family Ties in The South . There are various reasons why children of North Korea , including life, to leave only with the grandparents, to the elderly, to accompany them, or have parents who live separately and not to organize, to make for the whole family on the difficult journey.

"you send your child in South Korea to have a better life. If the children are too young, can you even explained the escape from The North to the brokers," Kim.

According to the Ministry of unification, there were 33,658 North Korean defectors in The South than in March 2020, of which Around 15% were 19 years or younger.

And from 2017, the government reported that it was aware of reports of 96 children who came to The South , without their parents, to the media.

Kim never thought that he of the young nurse.

fifteen years ago, he works in publishing. He spent his free time volunteering for Hanawon, a government-run resettlement facility in Seoul, where all The North Korean defectors living for three months, a course to prepare for the integration in the society in The South .

He met a boy named Ha-ryong who recently had the centre with His Mother left. She had managed to get a job, But it was a long way from Home and she had left her son Home Alone .

Ha-ryong, 10 Years old at The Time , asked Kim to be his baby-sitter, a role he landed on permanently.

Kim's parents totally rejected and cut off all connections with him for several years.

He went on to take in more North Korean children, one after The Other . The Boy lived with him the longest of which is still with him Cheol-gwang. He came to The South , on Christmas Eve 2012 at the age of just 11 years old. He and his sister had first tried to flee with their mother, But were caught by guards and imprisoned. He has published, Alone , and his sister was released, three months later. But his mom never showed up again.

they Finally Cheol-gwang and his sister escape to The South Alone .

As His Family , Kim is registered with The South Korean Ministry of health and social Affairs to form what is known as a "group house" - the smallest form of institution in the country, the legitimate children without the parents or guardians of an alternative family environment.

"But my children think of it as a real Home , not an institution," Kim Says . And his parents eventually accepted his decision, and now his most ardent supporters are, the treatment of the young, as their adoptive-grandson.

Geum-seong confesses that he was afraid of Kim on The First .

"When I first saw him, I thought he was a Bad Guy . Because A Man with a big belly in North Korea is usually a high-ranking official," he Says shyly, his accent still very obviously North Korean.

Kim Says that the logistics are a challenge, But he does all The House work yourself.

"The Most difficult part of shopping is grocery. Since they are always young, they eat Like horses. I load my car with huge amounts of food, But it is frustrating, because it will all be gone in just A Day ," he Says .

The food is unpacked, in the six refrigerators. Two washing-machines running non-stop, Every Day . Kim needs to vacuum The House constantly.

But he Says he's going to ask the guys for help, with the argument that The Most important thing is that it is maintained.

"I do not ask them for anything other than the grow with decent manners... That's how I was raised by my parents. "

It is so much work to keep that Kim is capable of a regular job, But he is entitled to some state benefits and corporate help.

he Says he doesn't feel comfortable with that, financial help, however, and so he has recently opened a small Café, in an attempt to gain some economic Independence .

But it is not only financial challenges, which have to cope with Kim and his foster family.

There is massive prejudice against North Korean defectors in The South .

Kim had initially move quite regularly as a result of rising rents or The Need for additional space, as he took in more boys. He Says that if he did it, so it would be unwanted attention.

"whenever we moved, the neighbours somehow find out... Some even sent me a message, to warn me, the defectors should live discreetly. "

At once the Kim household was also visited by the police. A Fellow pupil of one of Kim's foster children had claimed that his classmate was a spy for North Korea .

This Was an extreme case, But nevertheless, The Boys are mocked sometimes, usually when first join, a new school, called names Like "war-causing bastard. "

"When South Koreans heard that someone from North Korea , they tend to look down on you, and some even show hostility. It is so sad, because my children are still teenagers. It should not be displayed, politically," Kim Says .

In fact, many young North Korean defectors drop out of mainstream schools as a result.

"I'm not saying that alternative schools are bad. We just do not need, because I can fully support my children at Home . I think with [Korean] friends, and the creation of memories of the normal schools will be a great benefit for these children," he Says .

Seven years ago, one of The Boys , Jin-beom, decided to run for student President. to say

His teachers rang Kim, he was worried that The Experience would prove traumatic for The Boy . Kim said Jin-beom would be even more hurt if he knew that his teacher had made The Call . Despite this, he was chosen by The Students .

Every year, The Family decides to make a project together. Sometimes there is an Art exhibition, a musical. Last, a travel book, it was presented to the photos that had taken the young of The South Korean landscape.

"My Boys said that they were curious about Two things, if you were in Hanawon before entering the Korean society," Says Kim.

"that was what [South] Korea looks Like . and The Other was, what if The South Koreans don't Like Me ?" He Said . "So we decided to document the Korean landscape during the trip. "

The idea is to donate to, to help copies of The Book for children in Hanawon, they lose their fear of The Unknown .

As for Kim fees, they are excited about their future in South Korea . Their ambitions are currently in comic-book writing, architecture, and sports. Ha-ryong, the Little Boy , he took was already left and is in his final year at the University, where he studied sociology.

But what happens in The Future , Kim Says open, its doors always.

"We are still A Family ," he Says .

Source of news: bbc.com