VISUALS: South Korea celebrates first North Korean Defectors' Day
By Han Jun-guPosted : July 14, 2024, 09:00Updated : July 12, 2024, 18:12
SEOUL, July 14 (AJU PRESS) - South Korea is observing the first North Korean Defectors' Day on Sunday. The national day was designated this year to support North Korean refugees as they build new lives in the South.
Various events were held throughout last week to commemorate the occasion, which coincides with the effective date of the Act on the Protection and Settlement Support of North Korean Defectors, enacted on July 14, 1997. The law has served as the foundation for the legal status and settlement support policy for North Korean defectors.
As part of the celebrations, a North Korean cultural and artistic performance by the Pyongyang Arirang Artists Association was held in Seoul on Monday. The performance included haegeum (a Korean traditional string instrument) playing, North Korean traditional dances, and vocal performances.
Kim Su-young, a member of the Pyongyang Arirang Art Association composed of North Korean defectors, plays the violin in Seoul on July 8, 2024. AJU PRESS Han Jun-gu
Members of the Pyongyang Arirang Art Association composed of North Korean defectors sing during a cultural event to mark North Korean Defectors' Day in Seoul on July 8, 2024. AJU PRESS Han Jun-gu
South Korean Kim Sun-hee and Park Sung-jin, a member of the Pyongyang Arirang Art Association composed of North Korean defectors, play the haegeum(Korean traditional string instrument) during a cultural event to mark North Korean Defectors' Day in Seoul on July 8, 2024. AJU PRESS Han Jun-gu
Members of the Pyongyang Arirang Art Association composed of North Korean defectors sing and dance during a cultural event to mark North Korean Defectors' Day in Seoul on July 8, 2024. AJU PRESS Han Jun-gu
Members of the Pyongyang Arirang Art Association composed of North Korean defectors dance during a cultural event to mark North Korean Defectors' Day in Seoul on July 8, 2024. AJU PRESS Han Jun-gu
Jung Hyang-ran, a member of the Pyongyang Arirang Art Association composed of North Korean defectors, sings during a cultural event to mark North Korean Defectors' Day in Seoul on July 8, 2024. AJU PRESS Han Jun-gu