As teachers, we were warned of culture shock before coming to Korea for the first time. Many of us read books and studied Korean society and culture before making the decision to work here. In many cases, refugees have a much harder time adjusting to life in Korea than teachers do. After all, South Korean life is much more similar to Western life than North Korea is. Still, we have a shared experience that –when coupled with our experience in the classroom– can really benefit refugees as they try to adjust to a new life.

Our goal is to give North Koreans a fighting chance in Korean society where so much importance is put on English education and ability. There are many organizations that offer assistance to underprivileged children, but none of them target adult refugees. TIE is filling that gap. We know that it’ll be the start of a long educational road for many of our young to middle-aged adult students, but by providing a solid English foundation, we are confident that they will have a smoother transition from life in the north into life in the south.