How North Korean defector became an inspiration

Kim Young-eun, left, poses with the co-founders of Freedom Speakers International, Lee Eun-koo, right, and Casey Lartigue Jr. Courtesy of Casey Lartigue Jr.

By Kim Young-eun

Two years ago, when I clicked on a video recommended on YouTube, I saw a beautiful young woman who had defected from North Korea being interviewed by a foreign show host in fluent English. Her name was Park Yeon-mi.

She is now a YouTuber with more than 1 million subscribers, and a human rights activist in the United States. The content was interesting, but I was more curious to see a woman who had defected from North Korea speaking English so well. I learned that she barely attended school in North Korea, but after arriving in South Korea in 2007 at the age of 13, she passed all elementary, middle and high school qualification exams within a short time. She later attended Columbia University in New York City, published two best-selling books, is an international speaker, and has been interviewed many times, including by media commentator and podcast host Jordan Peterson.

I can only imagine the amount of effort it took for her to achieve those things. Her remarkable growth and warm personality in her videos immediately made me a fan, and I have watched every video she's posted without missing a single update. I have been influenced a lot by Yeon-mi.

Carol S. Dweck's 2007 book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," discusses growth mindsets and fixed mindsets. A growth mindset involves the belief that one can develop skills and talents through hard work, the right strategies, and guidance from others. Having a fixed mindset means believing intelligence, talent, and other qualities are innate and unchangeable. Dweck writes that everyone has both mindsets in different areas. I have a growth mindset when it comes to human relations, but in the field of intelligence, I used to have a fixed mindset. I previously believed that those who excelled academically were born with talent. The thought that their brains were superior to mine made me doubt my potential and led me to put in less effort.

After reading "Mindset" and seeing Yeon-mi's fascinating journey from starvation in North Korea to graduating from Columbia University, I realized I had no excuse. I had to change my perspective. She is strong proof of the growth mindset. She has taught me about North Korea and to believe that I can achieve anything if I put my heart into it.

North Korea was a topic that I had hardly thought about before. It was not because it was forbidden, but because it was simply not something people were interested in. I asked myself for many years if Korean unification was really necessary. All I knew about North Korea was that it was very poor and ruled by the Kim Il-sung family. It may have been geographically close, but it was a world away from me. However, while watching Yeon-mi's videos, I realized that North Koreans are not different from me. They are my siblings who look like me and speak the same language.

Listening to her experiences in North Korea and China, it was shocking that this was not a novel, but something that happened in the 21st century in which I was living as well. It was heartbreaking that someone who looked like me and spoke the same language had suffered this much pain. And I felt sorry for my ignorance and for not knowing about this pain. My eyes are now wide open.

North Koreans have also realized that their lives could change by altering their political system even though they were born in the North. If I had been born in North Korea, I would have suffered the same pain they endure. I am grateful to my ancestors who fought for the freedom of Korea, and I know that I became a free citizen because I happened to have been born in the Republic of Korea.

Inspired by Yeon-mi, I have become more interested in North Korean defectors, and I truly respect them. I have never done anything to risk my life before, no matter what challenges I have faced. However, North Korean defectors have all chosen to risk their lives. What they have overcome resonates with me more than any biographies I have read.

Even now, South Korean society is significantly less interested in North Korea and North Korean defectors than the international community is. And while defectors arrive on South Korean soil with hope, they still must endure a lot of discrimination. If we think we are better than North Korean defectors and look down on them without seeing their potential, does that mean we have fixed mindsets and set limits on ourselves, saying things like "I can't do it" and "That doesn't make sense?" In South Korea, where freedom and human rights are guaranteed, Yeon-mi's life shows that anyone can succeed if a North Korean defector can. If there is a difference between the people of our country and North Korea, it is just that we have been given the opportunity to make our own choices, while they have not.

After following Yeon-mi's social media accounts, I discovered that she learned English speech skills from Freedom Speakers International (FSI). I knew this was where I had to spend my time and money, and I have been a supporter ever since. Not long after I became a sponsor, I received a call from an unknown number. When I answered the phone, it was a staff member from FSI. They called because FSI mainly operates through donations from overseas sponsors. They were curious about who I was since I was a rare financial donor from Korea. I introduced myself with great pleasure and ended the call cheerfully. I didn't make it obvious, but I was heartbroken throughout the call. At that moment, I realized how indifferent the people of the Republic of Korea were about North Korea and North Korean defectors. It was embarrassing as a Korean to learn that foreigners were working harder than we were to help us with what we should have been doing. I felt like people from abroad were doing our work.

The development of the world has centered on those who believe in innovation and possibilities that others think impossible. FSI co-founders Casey Lartigue and Lee Eun-koo saw the potential of North Korean defectors, empowering a global human rights activist like Park Yeon-mi I was wondering if there was anything else I could do for North Korean defectors and wanted to get more involved in their lives, so I found the courage to call FSI. I thought it would be great if I could meet one of the FSI staff, but instead, I was fortunate enough to meet with both founders. I have since learned that Casey was Yeon-mi's mentor at the beginning of her journey as an author and public speaker and that she credits him with changing her life. As Yeon-mi said in one of her videos, Casey empowers North Korean refugees because he believes in them even before they believe in themselves. After meeting them, I doubled the amount that I donate each month.

What would the Republic of Korea look like if more South Koreans opened their hearts to North Korean defectors and treated them with sincerity? I think the experience that North Korean defectors have of living in both North Korea and South Korea will be incredibly valuable in the future. I would like to express my gratitude to the FSI representatives who have been making every effort to help North Korean defectors meet their potential since a decade before my eyes were opened. And if I ever get the chance, I would like to meet every North Korean defector out there and tell them how much I truly respect them and support their lives.

Kim Young-eun is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHO) of the Hyundaejisung publishing company. This blog post was edited by Irene Yoon, co-manager of publications at Freedom Speakers International (FSI).