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Banjangs are the heads of the neighborhood watch units created by the North Korean regime to spy on citizens and report any signs of disloyalty. Banjangs are usually middle-aged women, and they are assigned to residential areas consisting of around 30 households. When Hyeonseo and her family move into their new house on the military base in Anju, the banjang delivers them portraits of the Great Leaders, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. When Hyeonseo escapes North Korea across the Yalu River into China, Mother tells the police that Hyeonseo is visiting Aunt Pretty in Hamhung, but the banjang knows otherwise and tells the police the truth. Banjangs are an integral part of the oppression of the North Korean regime, and they help keep the people in constant fear of the government, which is always watching.
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Banjang Term Timeline in The Girl with Seven Names
The timeline below shows where the term Banjang appears in The Girl with Seven Names. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3: The Eyes on the Wall
...can’t be turned off or down. The speaker is used to broadcast announcements from the banjang, the head of the neighborhood unit. Banjangs are usually middle-aged women, who deliver warnings and...
(full context)
Chapter 21: The Suitor
...or government. Mother told them that Hyeonseo was visiting Aunt Pretty in Hamhung, but the banjang was with the inspectors and knew the truth. Chang-ho told Mother that Hyeonseo had crossed...
(full context)
