I was just watching a History Channel documentary on YouTube called "Kingjongilia" about people who have managed to escape North Korea.
Having visited South Korea a bunch of times now, I realize I didn't notice any kind of museum on these people and their plight. Googling for one now isn't helping much either.
Is there such a museum somewhere in South Korea?
Unfortunately, I do not have a positive answer to this question. I have been looking around the web for a few days now and I am almost sure there is no such museum. I have been through the list of museums in South Korea with the help of Google Translate but with no luck. There is not even one comment about such a museum in any website. I think I can safely say such a museum does NOT exist in South Korea.
Specific to defectors, not really. I think that would aggravate things more then anything. While South Koreans are aware of the "struggle" of many of their Northern brethren, things like the Ministry of Unification look actively to bond both cultures rather then highlight the differences.
If you're looking for a glimpse of North Korean life you might want to check out the Odu Mountain Unification Observatory in Paju. It's a fairly straight forward trip from Seoul and actually has a multi-level gallery that showcases the lives of North Koreans, from their groceries, clothes to "models" of homes. Plus in the basement you can get North Korean made goods, including liquor.
While you're in Paju you can also visit the DMZ, check out the elaborate ceremonies and tension between a bunch of 20 year old soldiers.
Why not actually just visit North Korea? I'm not sure how it is post Kim Jong-Il, but if your Mandarin is decent you can call around some of the travel agents in Dandong that will arrange a visa for you. The visa prices are actually comparable to some other well traveled countries. (Assuming you aren't American). If you're Malay you don't even need a visa :-)
