Jaw-dropping discovery: North Korean students fought for Hungary against the Soviets in Budapest
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Mózes Csoma, a Hungarian Koreanist researching current and historical North Korean events and the Korean-Hungarian relationship, unearthed intriguing documents and conducted interviews with Korean students helping or opposing the Hungarian freedom fighters of 1956.
Hungary’s struggle against Soviet Communism
From 1944 to 1954, the Soviet Union occupied Hungary, with the Red Army lingering despite armistices and the Paris Peace Treaty (1947). Hungarian democratic factions tried to establish a post-WWII democracy, backed by the majority of Hungarians. However, they faced resistance from the Communist Party bolstered by Soviet forces, followed by a nightmarish scenario.
Under Mátyás Rákosi’s Communist regime, Hungary endured cruelty akin to Stalin’s Soviet Union, teetering on the edge of economic collapse. Consequently, an uprising ensued, compelling over a thousand North Korean students, who had integrated into Hungarian society having local friends and romantic partners, to make a choice between the invading Soviets and the resisting Hungarian freedom fighters.
North Korea: a Communist country sending orphans to Hungary
To the surprise of many, these students stood by Hungary. Today, North Korea resembles a medieval kingdom where the Kim dynasty dictates life and death. Despite following Communist ideology in theory, one might have anticipated loyalty from these students towards their homeland, particularly after the brutal Korean War (1950-1953) when their fathers and grandfather fought and died against the American and South Korean troops. Nevertheless, the group of youngsters rejected Communism.
The first group of Korean students arrived in Hungary in 1951, all orphaned by the war. The impetus to host Korean children in Hungary stemmed from Erzsébet Kovács, a fourth-grader from Csepel, Budapest (Budapest’s 21st district), who penned a letter to Mátyás Rákosi, subsequently forwarded to the North Korean Embassy. This letter was forwarded to Mr Csoma’s presentation during Researchers’ Night in Hungary, as reported by Képmás.
Diligent North Korean students
Hungary tended to the Korean orphans with great care, providing them with free education and accommodation. In 1953, the Hungarian government established a children’s home for them in Budapest’s enchanting Hűvösvölgy area. These students were enrolled in prestigious Budapest schools, where they diligently tackled language barriers and academic subjects. Remarkably, one student even delved into Shakespeare’s King Lear through Mihály Vörösmarty’s archaic translation.
