A Day After Receiving Stern Warning For Kim Jong Un's Regime, South Korea Celebrates First-Ever North Korean Defectors' Day With Joy, Music And Food

South Korea marked its first-ever North Korean Defectors’ Day on Sunday, a significant event that honors the approximately 34,000 North Koreans who have escaped the oppressive rule of Pyongyang to start anew in South Korea.

What Happened: The inaugural event, held every July 14, saw hundreds of defectors gather at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul to celebrate their freedom from the authoritarian regime of North Korea, CNN reported on Tuesday. The celebration was filled with joy, music, and food, symbolizing the defectors’ spirited independence from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Despite the festive atmosphere, the event also highlighted the struggles that defectors face upon arrival in South Korea. Many grapple with financial hardship, discrimination, and stigma. Activists and authorities hope that this annual celebration will help change these perceptions.

"This is something that we all have to celebrate," said Park Daehyeon, a defector who fled North Korea in 2006 and has since founded the non-profit organization Woorion to help other defectors resettle in the South.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also expressed his support for the defectors, promising to increase resettlement funds and incentivize government agencies and state-run companies to hire more defectors by offering tax benefits.

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Why It Matters: The celebration comes amid rising tensions between South Korea and North Korea. In June, South Korea and the United States initiated discussions to strengthen their nuclear response strategies against potential threats from North Korea. The same month, a group of North Korean defectors in Seoul launched large balloons filled with K-pop and South Korean cultural content across the border in retaliation for the trash-filled balloons sent by Kim Jong Un‘s North Korea.

Furthermore, Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, issued a stern warning to South Korea over a new leafleting campaign by its civilians, warning South Korea to be ready for “paying a very high price”.

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Photo via Shutterstock.

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari