Blackmailing from China

Park Eun-mi escaped to South Korea in 2014. After remaining silent for eight years, she launched a YouTube channel on March 14. ― Ed

By Park Eun-mi

Sometimes it is difficult for North Korean women to tell their stories because people may judge the situation without understanding how desperate some North Koreans are in China.

Today, I would like to talk about three things.

One, many North Korean defector women are exploited in China.

Two, some of the Chinese people exploiting North Korean women try to control them even after they leave China.

Three, the situations North Koreans face in China are complicated and many people in other parts of the world may not be able to understand them.

A detective from the National Intelligence Service, or NIS, told me this story about a woman I will call "Young-hee." The NIS interrogates North Korean defectors when they first arrive in the country, so they hear many stories when North Koreans first arrive. And they also hear many problems that North Korean defectors later face.

Young-hee defected from North Korea when she was young and lived in China for several years. She was trafficked and sold to a Chinese man. She lived with him for two or three years. She finally escaped from him and went to Shenyang.

But when Young-hee arrived in Shenyang, she had no money, no place to sleep, she couldn't find work, and she was worried about being caught and sent back to North Korea. Desperate, starving, poor, she found a sex bar owned by a Chinese woman.

Young-hee told the owner about her situation. The bar owner hired her to work there. She didn't know what else to do. The owner gave her only 20 percent of the money she made. After three years, Young-hee wanted to get out, but she knew it would not be easy. Her situation changed because the 2008 Olympics were going to be held in Beijing. The Chinese government cracked down on crimes. The bar owner was making a lot of money because of Young-hee, so she wanted to keep her and continue her business.

To protect her from being returned to North Korea, the owner offered to send Young-hee to South Korea for one year. But she would have to return to China. Young-hee accepted the offer.

Young-hee came to South Korea and became a South Korean citizen. She stayed in touch with the bar owner almost every day for one year. Finally, it was time for her to return to China.

The bar owner sent her a flight ticket. But Young-hee did not want to leave.

She started to settle down in South Korea and she could finally see a hopeful future for herself.

Young-hee decided not to return to the bar in China.

She moved to a new house and changed her phone number. She was hoping that, as a South Korean citizen, she would be able to escape from the place. But about a month later, someone sent text messages, photos and videos to her new phone.

The photos were of her naked body and the videos showed her having sex with customers at the bar in China.

The text messages warned her: "If you don't return to China, I will post your photos and videos on the internet. People around world will see you. I will destroy you if you don't return to China."

Young-hee knew that she could not solve this problem by herself. She asked the NIS to help her.

Young-hee has now settled down safely in South Korea.

There are many Chinese people like that sex bar owner who see North Korean defector women as nothing but money. When they become useless, they throw them away without any consideration.

I hope my small voice will help them find their freedom as soon as possible.

I hope people will listen to Young-hee's story without judging her.

Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of Freedom Speakers International, edited this text for publication. Lee Eun-koo, co-founder of FSI, translated it from Korean to English.

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