By definition, Yeonjoaje or Guilt by association means the implicative system that any person suffers unfavorable treatment or punishment on account of an act not of his own doing but committed by a relative within a certain degree (source: Wikipedia)
It is a system widespread in ancient oriental countries but now is a very unique system that is widely implemented in North Korea to control their people to monitor each other.
Ever wondered why we don't really hear stories of North Korean defectors? This Yeonjoaje is the main reason preventing North Korean defectors from speaking up. Most of the defectors living in Korea still have families, friends, or at least neighbors in North Korea. For the sake of people living in North Korea, many of them chose not to speak up.
That is the reason why we, those of us who know their stories, need to speak up. At Voice Us, we will be their voice and we will be their eyes and hearts.