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Tue, December 12, 2023 | 08:24

Defector talks about struggle as woman in North Korea

Defector talks about struggle as woman in North Korea

Women in North Korea are routinely deprived of the basic freedom of expression, which is what ultimately persuaded North Korean refugee Park Eun-hee to leave her home and come to South Korea when she was 19 years old.

2021-05-15 09:09

What I have learned about suffering after escaping North Korea

What I have learned about suffering after escaping North Korea

I spent a decade in the North Korean army before being released in 2010. Shortly after that, I escaped from North Korea to South Korea, lived in Canada for two years, and earned a master's degree in public administration from Korea University.

2021-05-09 09:24

My journey from North Korea to 'the land of the free'

My journey from North Korea to 'the land of the free'

Freedom means everything in my life. That's why I escaped from North Korea. I escaped for freedom. Both a free mind and a free lifestyle are required to have freedom, where you can travel anywhere and where you can join any religion. Instead of obeying someone else's rules, you can follow your own rules. While society may say one thing, you can disagree and make your own path...

2021-05-02 09:14

Ruling or fleeing North Korea's hell

Ruling or fleeing North Korea's hell

North Korea is a poor country, but people who live in the capital live pretty well - residents there are said to live in “Pyonghattan,” a combination of Pyongyang and Manhattan. When Pyonghattans learn about the outside world, they begin to face a moral dilemma: should they continue to live as part of the elite in the country, or take a chance to live in freedom?

2021-04-18 09:22

I was in a North Korean propaganda video

I was in a North Korean propaganda video

A few years ago, I became a regular guest on a talk show about North Korea called the “Moranbong Club.” It is an entertainment show, so I didn't have to talk about my personal story. It was fun until everything got serious when another panelist on the TV show was sent back to North Korea.

2021-04-10 09:35

When I escaped to South Korea, I felt guilt

When I escaped to South Korea, I felt guilt

When I was a university student, I couldn't understand why South Koreans were against reunification. However, after living in South Korea for more than 10 years, I can understand that there are various reasons to be opposed to it. It started with a documentary about the Korean War. A person in the documentary, Yoo Bok-ja, said when her mother was pregnant with her, that her f...

2021-03-21 16:09

North Korean defectors talk about escape, new life in South in English

My experience of teaching English to North Korean defectors

My experience of teaching English to North Korean defectors

Working with Freedom Speakers International (FSI) and the U.S. Embassy has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. As someone for whom English was not my first language, learning to speak English was a challenge for me, too. When I was learning English I received a lot of help from many people both in Korea and the United States and learned tips and tricks that help...

2021-03-06 09:41

My mother was tortured by North Korean authorities

My mother was tortured by North Korean authorities

I defected from North Korea in May of 2017 and arrived in South Korea in October of the same year. When I was younger, I learned about the childhoods of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jung-Il from school and from my parents. When I received snacks on Kim Il-sung's and Kim Jung-Il's birthdays, I thought I was the happiest child in the world as I paid my respects to their portraits.

2021-02-27 09:35

The faces of North Koreans

The faces of North Koreans

When you think about North Koreans, what image comes to mind? I would guess that most people would say Kim Jong-un or probably North Korea's nuclear weapons.

2021-02-21 14:36

Smile: A North Korean refugee's dream

Smile: A North Korean refugee's dream

When I was in North Korea, I never went to school. When I tell people that, they think I mean that I rarely went to school, or that perhaps I dropped out of school. It takes some time for them to understand that I mean: I never went to school in North Korea, not even once time.

2021-02-13 14:15

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