77 before going to China, but they were also in no position to know what might happen in the future. Because these women thought of returning to North Korea after a few days, they were not greatly concerned about crossing the border and could not make informed choices. Ten years ago, in 1998, I came from &orth Korea to China. That means, at that time I had graduated from secondary school and was living with my older brother, my older brother was living in Cheongjin. … [I met a] person I knew, we were so happy to meet and while we talked this person asked ‘Don’t you want to earn money in China?’ That’s why I came. It wasn’t long after I had finished school and the &orth Korean economy was in difficulties. That is, because this person said I could go to China and make some money and come back, that is why my heart wavered. (Gil Gyeonghui, 2009, 1-7) With this kind of thought people go in the beginning to make money. Actually I also went because of that. I didn’t come to stay for good but thinking ‘When I come back after earning money for just 3 months, I will be able to keep up my family’s living.’ And if I go to a farm village with the rest and buy goods and exchange them for other goods and come back with them, that may somehow sort out [the problem of] food to eat, and when I come back with money earned I can start a trade with that money, I went with this kind of thoughts. (Han Junhui, 2009, 2-1) The goods, I was told they would be here in around 5 days, so I went and worked for 10 days and got the money and came. ‘With the money from selling the goods I can go home, or I sell them and go to my mum’s house, something like this I thought… Then, at that time, I didn’t think at all about things like ‘I’m going to another country, it’s scary’. I just silently followed others who left. (Sun Yeongsu, 2009, 3-4) Certainly, there were also women who knew about the situation in China in advance, but the thought of earning money and returning to North Korea was more prevalent. Contrary to migrant women in all parts of the world, North Korean refugee women, in general, crossed the North Korean-Chinese border illegally without any further plan, and as a result had to remain and live in China as illegal residents. Thus, North Korean refugee women living in China had no alternative but to live in the worlds’ most vulnerable position. 2. Life without citizenship