CEO Profile

Profile of Eiko Kawasaki
President of International NGO “Korea for All”

Background(Life in Japan)
Eiko Kawasaki , a second-generation Zainichi Korean, was born on the 11th of July 1942, in Kumiyama-cho, Kuze-gun, Kyoto to immigrant parents. Her father, Pak Jongho, was from south Gyeongnam Province, Korea and her mother, Jong Jonim, was from south Jeolla Province, Korea. As was common among those Koreans living in Japan in the post-war years, the family was poor, and life hung in a precarious balance. However, one thing set her family apart from other Koreans living in Japan, her parents loved each other and provided her with a peaceful and happy childhood, despite the poverty they endured. She attended a local elementary and junior high school, but because the economic fortunes of her family had taken a turn for the worse before she could graduate from junior high school, she had to give up on the prospect of attending high school. Her father always said, “There is no shame in poverty,” a saying she greatly detested at the time, thinking it was a fallacy. It was the first time that she felt a dislike for her father’s words.

Growing Interest of Return to North Korea
One day in February, she took the senior enrollment exam of the Kyoto Korean Middle and High School on the advice of an activist from the General Association of Korean Residents who had visited her house. Because she had achieved the highest score on the exam, she was able to attend the school on a scholarship. Not only was she exempted from having to pay tuition, but her textbooks were also provided to her free of charge. During this period, a movement developed among those Zainichi Koreans seeking a return to North Korea. Their group, the General Association of Korean Residents, held ever growing daily rallies and meetings. The Japanese Government, from the National Assembly on down, approved a resolution permitting this return to take place. The political parties, such as the Liberal Party, Socialist Party and Japanese Communist Party, and the Japan Teacher’s Union and National Confederation of Trade Unions, and women’s and youth organizations were in a constant uproar over the matter. In Calcutta, India, the Red Cross Societies of Japan and Korea signed an agreement ratifying the return of the Zainichi Koreans. This set into motion what was known as “the great migration from capitalism to socialism.”

Going Over to North Korea Alone(Life in North Korea)
In 1960, Eiko, then a 17 years old high school student in her third, boarded a ship that would take her to North Korea. When she arrived in port, she was astonished by what she saw. Although the General Association of Korean Residents had declared that the liberty of the emigrants would be preserved, it was a country void of human rights, where freedom was not recognized. She quickly decided that she could not support or cooperate with the government of North Korea. Having resolved to do this, she changed her college major to engineering, never putting her thoughts to paper for fear of her life. Moreover, even though she knew that by refusing to join the Korean Labor Party she would no longer be considered a human in the eyes of the government, she was unable to accept the general principles of the party, and was determined not to join. This behavior was very dangerous, and might have gotten her killed had someone taken notice. However, despite this, she did not live the life of a hermit, taking a keen interest in all the events unfolding across the country. She believed that this would allow her to truly see socialism at work, even though she did not participate in the movement personally. She was also seeking an escape. The greatest impact on her was seeing the Korean people submit to the powers that ruled over them so that they might be able continue to live. She was determined to live on, believing that, “If I remained true to myself, I could die with no regrets.” The 40-plus years of silence she was forced to endure were filled with agony and hardship. When Kim Il-sung died, Eiko thought, “Maybe this marks the beginning of positive changes to come.” She held on to this thread of hope, but reality proved itself to be far from pleasant. North Korea has never experienced true freedom or democracy. After the fall of the feudal society of the Joseon Dynasty, the Empire of Japan immediately colonized the country. Following this period of occupation, rule was transferred to Kim Il Sung by the Soviet Union. Therefore, people assumed that human society was separated into the rulers and the ruled. This made it only natural that they would accept Kim Jong-Il inheriting power from Kim Il Sung.

Defecting from North Korea (Return to Japan)
After the death of Kim Il-Sung, North Korea experienced a period of mass starvation, transforming the country into a hell on earth. Eiko thought to herself, “If things get any worse, remaining here will no longer hold any meaning for me.” With this in mind, she crossed the border. She concluded that without influence from external parties, North Korea would never recover. Determined, she telling the outside world of the state of the country, particularly the Japanese, believing that if others knew something of what was going on, this would be the best way to obtain their help. Since her return to Japan, Eiko has written books, and works to assist defectors from North Korea who do not know the Japanese language to become familiar with their new home. She teaches them Japanese, helps them to open their bank accounts, teaches them how to use public transportation and hospitals, and how to go shopping. She has been invited to many places to speak on the current situation of North Korea. During this period she has not revealed her true name, fearing that her family left behind in North Korea might be harmed, so she published her books under a pseudonym.

Establishment of International NGO “Korea for All”
It has been 10 years since Eiko left North Korea, and 9 years since she returned to Japan. However, North Korea has not changed. “I might not be able to meet my family left behind in North Korea again within this lifetime,” she said. This fear has made her decide to “stop running and hiding.” “If I remain in the shadows, I cannot enter into people’s hearts and people will not be moved.” From now on she plans to appeal to Japanese housewives, seeking their cooperation to solve the returnee problem. She is betting her and her family’s lives on this.

On the 13th of November 2014 she established the NGO “Korea for All,” and has been active as its representative. In addition, she, along with like-minded defectors, submitted a “Statement on Human Rights Relief” to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations on the 15th of January 2015. She is making a daily effort to see this realized.