Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
North Korea escapee sheds light on Kim regime's human rights abuses ahead of North Korean Defectors' Day
Lee So-yeon, a North Korean defector, shares her personal experience with an audience after a screening event of a documentary "Beyond Utopia" at Seoul Citizens Hall, Tuesday. Courtesy of Free North Korea Radio
By Jung Da-hyun
Lee So-yeon, a North Korean defector who features in the documentary "Beyond Utopia," has shed light on the human rights abuses occurring in North Korea under the Kim regime, which coincides with the inaugural North Korean Defectors' Day in South Korea.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is hosting a week-long event, including a documentary screening, which highlights the challenges faced by those fleeing the North. Lee engaged with audiences, sharing her personal experiences during the events held on Monday and Tuesday.
"I didn't even know the term 'human rights' back in North Korea, so I wasn't aware mine were being violated, which was the most shocking thing I realized after coming to the South," Lee So-yeon said in an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday.
She explained that North Korean defectors do not escape in search of a better life but out of sheer necessity due to the dire conditions.
Lee So-yeon, a North Korean defector / Courtesy of Lee Su-yeon
"Despite my unwavering loyalty and working around the clock for the country, my monthly salary was insufficient to live on," she said.
While working in a coal mine in the North, Lee earned a meager 2,000 North Korean won per month. Sometimes she was not paid at all.
At that time, one kilogram of white rice cost 5,000 won in the market, which was unaffordable on her salary. Facing starvation with no food for up to three days at a time, Lee's struggle to survive ultimately formed her decision to escape.
After escaping and settling in the South, she decided to bring her son to the South as well. However, he was intercepted by authorities while escaping and was sent back to a North Korean prison camp.
"Right now, I am just confirming through brokers that he is alive," Lee said.
When the story of her and her son was documented, Lee feared that her son might face further harm from North Korean authorities. Despite this, she chose to share their ordeal with the world to send a clear message to the North Korean government: her son must not be harmed.
By doing so, she aimed to bring attention to their plight and highlight North Korea's innumerable human rights violations.
As a North Korean defector, Lee expressed gratitude for the designation of North Korean Defectors’ Day in South Korea.
"It felt significant because it meant documenting the human rights violations and life people live in North Korea in South Korea's history," she said.
"By documenting North Korea’s human rights violations, I hope to see the perpetrators brought before the International Criminal Court someday."