Giving birth in Pyongyang

“Candidate Hwang Sun chose Oct. 10, 2005, to give birth to her daughter by Caesarean section at Pyongyang Obstetrics Hospital. I urge Hwang to clarify why she gave birth to her baby in Pyongyang.” So said Jeon Yeo-ok, spokeswoman of the minor (South) Korea Vision Party on a hot issue in social networking service. Jeon posted this comment on her Twitter account Monday, saying Hwang, a candidate for the main opposition Democratic United Party under the proportional representative system, intentionally went to Pyongyang seven years ago to deliver her baby. Web users in South Korea have blasted Hwang on social networking service sites with comments such as, "Did Hwang’s child get North Korean citizenship then?” and “She`s even colored her daughter.”

In 1998, Hwang was sent to prison in South Korea for visiting Pyongyang as the representative of the then Korea Federation of University Student Councils. She attended a reunification festival in the North Korean capital. Her husband is Yoon Ki-jin, a former managing staff member of the student association and president of the Pan-Korean Alliance for Unification. He sent her to Pyongyang. Their daughter was born at 10 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2005, the 60th anniversary of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party. Hwang named her daughter "Gyeorye," meaning "nation" in English. The Dong-A Ilbo said at the time, “Hwang, whose due date was Oct. 17th, went to Pyongyang under the judgment that her two-day stay in Pyongyang would cause no problem. She was sent to Pyongyang Obstetrics Hospital while watching an Arirang performance around 8 p.m. the same day due to sudden labor pain.”

Hwang brushed off Jeon`s criticism that going to Pyongyang for childbirth is "more anti-national than going to the U.S. for the same purpose,” saying, “Inquire the hospital about the matter.” Hwang apparently meant that the childbirth by c-section was unintentional, having told reporters in the past, “I went sightseeing in Pyongyang and unexpectedly gave birth to my daughter. Because my due date was a week away, I didn’t expect to give birth,” adding, “Anyway, my second child has a very special hometown.” Hwang apparently dislikes her daughter, now in elementary school, being mentioned by people.

Choi Anna, spokeswoman of a group of obstetricians called Jin OB, said, “Unless a mother says she will give birth there or doesn’t mind doing so, her doctor won`t allow her to take a trip.” A fetus older than 38 months can be born via c-section without labor pain. A message was also posted by Hwang on her blog saying, “When Kim Jong Il died last year, my daughter asked me if she didn’t need to go to Pyongyang to pay her respects to her Pyongyang grandfather.”

Editorial Writer Kim Sun-deok (yuri@donga.com)