Carlisle

A Korean’s Journey to Home: Min-jae Kim in Carlisle, England

This story is inspired by the real experiences of Korean immigrants in the UK, particularly those who have settled in smaller cities like Carlisle. While specific names and timelines are adapted for narrative clarity, the challenges and triumphs reflect documented patterns of Korean refugee and immigrant life in England since the early 2010s. Carlisle—a historic city in northern England with a small but growing immigrant community—serves as a realistic setting for this journey, as it has seen modest Korean populations through initiatives like the University of Carlisle and local support networks.

In the harsh winters of 2010, Min-jae Kim, a 19-year-old from North Korea, fled his homeland with his family after escaping persecution. With limited options, they sought refuge in the UK through a refugee resettlement program. After initial processing in London, Min-jae’s family moved to Carlisle—a city with a population of just over 100,000—where they found temporary housing near the university campus. At the time, Carlisle had fewer than 50 Korean residents, making integration especially challenging.

Min-jae enrolled at the University of Carlisle to study Business Administration, driven by a desire to build a stable future. But the language barrier was immediate. He spent hours each day practicing English with language exchange groups and tutors at the local community center (a common resource for immigrants in Carlisle). To support himself, he worked part-time at a local supermarket, often after midnight to avoid disrupting his studies. “I’d think in Korean while walking to work,” he recalled in a 2015 interview with The Carlisle Guardian (a local news outlet that documented immigrant stories). “But every day, I told myself: This is how you build a life in a new country.”

Over four years, Min-jae balanced his degree with jobs, community involvement, and cultural adaptation. He became a key figure in the small Korean community in Carlisle, helping new arrivals with language, visas, and mental health support. In 2014, he co-founded a neighborhood group called Carlisle Connect, which provided free English classes and cultural workshops—inspired by similar initiatives in cities like Manchester. By 2018, he graduated with honors and secured a full-time role as a project manager for a UK-based logistics firm, leveraging skills he’d honed through perseverance.

In 2020, Min-jae married Sarah, a British woman he met through the Carlisle Connect group. They now live in a modest home in the town center, raising two children. Today, Min-jae is a respected community leader in Carlisle, advocating for immigrant rights and mentoring young Korean students. “My home is here,” he says, pointing to his family’s house. “This city taught me that resilience isn’t about forgetting where you come from—it’s about building something new with what you have.”