A group of North Korean refugees launched a political party in South Korea on Tuesday, aiming to give a voice to the 33,500 defectors living in the South and oppose conciliation with Pyongyang.
"We were always considered minorities and aliens," said Kim Joo-il, secretary-general of the new South-North Unification Party at its launch at a hall in South Korea's capital Seoul. "North Korean defectors are now the future of unification."
The decision to set up a formal political party was a sign that defectors are seeking a more direct political role ahead of a parliamentary election in April. Many are strongly critical of President Moon Jae-in's administration, which they accuse of sidelining defectors and ignoring human rights in a bid to repair relations with North Korea.