North Korean defectors risk death to escape a life of poverty, hunger, and oppression. But their lives are far from perfect in South Korea, where most of the defector community resides. Defectors face unremitting discrimination and suspicion by South Koreans. Many in Seoul live in poverty and alone. Some even want to repatriate due to their harsh socioeconomic realities in the South.
One under-appreciated fact: Most North Koreans take part in the nation's black markets. Since the North Korean famine, many families rely on trading goods in the Jangmadang. Their market intuition, forged in desperation, often surpass formal business training.
Working alongside leaders of the defector community, we designed an incubator curriculum. We want them to reclaim their own stories as refugees and survivors. By tapping into their natural entrepreneurial gifts, we shape their background into strengths.
Creative resourcefulness and community resilience formed the basis of our program. We integrated business practices gleaned from frameworks developed Y Combinator and at Stanford. We delivered our proprietary pedagogy, business plan, impact evaluation, and growth strategy.
We proved the viability of the curriculum in focus groups and education sessions. Our findings suggest that program participants may see their household incomes doubling (+94%). The program will contribute USD $750 million in development over the following decade. Imagine low-income neighborhoods and marginalized communities flourishing across Seoul.