Congressman Lee Byung Jin of the Democratic Party of Korea shared his unique experiences from his time studying in China, experiencing campus life with the children of high-ranking North Korean officials.
On June 9, Lee appeared as a guest on the Korean show Now On My Way to Meet You and shared his memories with North Korean students.
Lee, a graduate of Beijing University in China, was asked, “Did you meet any North Korean students during your college years?” He responded, “Yes. Living in a dormitory, I was beside North Korean students studying abroad. I’m naturally sociable, so I initiated conversations and became friends with them.”
He continued, “It was right after China had formally established diplomatic relations, so the atmosphere was generally friendly, and we could talk about anything. What I remember most is that we respect the senior-junior relationship in Korea. The North Korean students also called me ‘older brother.’ I visited their dorm rooms, and there were pictures of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in their rooms. They once asked to borrow money because they were short on cash, and I lent them some. They paid me back,” Lee explained.
When asked about the students’ backgrounds, he explained, “Initially, they told me they were workers’ children, but I later discovered they were actually children of high-ranking officials from the security agency. They must have been exceptionally intelligent to study abroad in China.”
“On weekends, they went to the North Korean embassy for ideological education. They likely had to write reports about whom they met. My name might even be in Pyongyang,” he joked.
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