Reports

In recent years, many children from North Korea have crossed the border into China in search of food, safety, or a better life. Known as “kotjebi” or street children, these young people face difficult conditions in a foreign country where they must find ways to survive on their own. They often live without family, support, or a place to call home, struggling with their identity, like they do not belong to either North Korea or China.

Why Kotjebi Leave North Korea

Kotjebi usually leave North Korea mainly due to extreme poverty, lack of food, or the hope of reuniting with family members who have left before. Many North Korean families cannot support all their children, and some kotjebi lose their families entirely. Some children cross the border to China hoping they can survive by working, begging, and even sending money back to loved ones in North Korea.

Crossing the border is very risky. China does not recognize North Korean refugees as political refugees but as economic migrants, which means they do not offer them asylum and often send them back to North Korea. This is despite China being a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, international agreements that require the protection of refugees who face persecution if returned to their country of origin. This is particularly dangerous as the North Korean government punishes defectors, even if they are only children. Despite the risks, many kotjebi take the chance because their lives in North Korea are simply too difficult and they have no other choice but to leave.

How Kotjebi Live Day to Day

Once they reach China, kotjebi need to find ways to survive, often with little or no support from anyone. Most cannot find regular work because they do not have the required documentation, and they are very young. As a result, they often end up begging for money or food on the streets. Some look for small jobs, like helping in restaurants or doing manual labor. Unfortunately, this leaves them open to exploitation and abuse by people who take advantage of their desperate situation.

Besides the risks associated with crossing borders, these children also experience the danger of living on the streets. Many must hide from the authorities, knowing they could be sent back to North Korea anytime. Without a permanent place to stay, they face hunger, harsh weather, and the risk of being hurt or trafficked. Some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) try to help North Korean refugees in China, but their ability to provide direct aid to kotjebi is very limited due to strict Chinese government rules. Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), an NGO that helps North Korean refugees, explains that many kotjebi are left without stable shelter or food, and most aid has to be done secretly to avoid detection.

Struggling With Identity, They Belong Nowhere

For kotjebi, survival is only one part of the struggle. Many also suffer from feeling like they do not truly belong in either North Korea or China. They grow up without a steady home, family, or community and often feel like they are constantly moving or hiding. This affects their sense of self-being and identity, as they cannot settle anywhere or build normal lives.

Author Jang Jin-Sung, in his book The Defector: Escape from North Korea, talks about the emotional journey of North Korean defectors, describing how they feel caught between two worlds. Although Jang writes about adults, his words also apply to kotjebi, who feel like strangers wherever they go. Unlike many other refugees, kotjebi do not have the security of family or community support. This leads to loneliness and a feeling of being invisible, even as they fight every day just to survive.

Moreover, organizations like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) explain that children who grow up without a stable sense of belonging can face lifelong challenges. For kotjebi, this constant state of instability impacts their mental health, affecting their ability to trust others and build a clear sense of identity, which may become a significant obstacle when they will enter their adult life in the future. They are always seen as outsiders in China, yet many cannot imagine going back to North Korea, where life is just as difficult and dangerous.

International efforts needed

The lives of kotjebi in China show the unique struggles of North Korean Street children who are not only trying to survive in a foreign land but also struggling to understand who they are and where they belong. These young children face challenges not only in meeting their daily needs but also in finding a place where they feel accepted. As they grow up, they lack the security, family support, and sense of community that every child needs to become a mentally healthy adult.

The conditions faced by kotjebi reveal the urgent need for attention and support. While there are many limitations on how they can be helped due to political restrictions, these children need safe spaces and reliable support. Advocating for better protection and awareness is essential so they do not continue to be overlooked in their struggle for survival and identity.

The international community and NGOs can do as much as rules in China allow them to. Thus, the path to educating, sharing, advocating, and eventually shaping change rests with those who walk the same streets as these children, those who walk past them without ever noticing them, those whose voices have the power to influence the future of humanity and support.

Sources

Yoonok Chang, Stephan Haggard, and Marcus Noland. Migration Experiences of North Korean Refugees: Survey Evidence from China

Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) reports on North Korean refugees and street children

Jang Jin-Sung. The Defector: Escape from North Korea

International Organization for Migration (IOM) studies on child migration and identity issues

Written by Emma Ranquet for Yonsei GSIS Human Rights Hub