Euna Lee: What I learned as a prisoner in North Korea
ئونا لی: چی فێر بووم ئەوکاتەی کە لە کۆریای باکوور بەندکرابووم
Euna Lee strives to be a voice for the voiceless and a window for those with no access to outside information. Full bio
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what the young generation of workers want
نەوەی نوێم خوێندەوە
was: don't just talk about impact,
ئەوەش: بەتەنها باسی کاریگەری مەکە،
that I had when I was in college.
بوو کە لە کۆلێژ هەمبوو.
for those who live under injustice;
بۆ کەسانێک کە ژیانیان نادادپەروەرە؛
a documentary journalist,
ڕۆژنامەوانی دۆکیومێنتاری،
that turned my life upside down.
هەموو ژیانمی گۆڕی.
about North Korean refugees
پەنابەرانی کۆریای باکوور دروست دەکرد
of North Korean defectors use
کۆریای باکوور بەکاریان دەهێنا
of the frozen river,
بەستووەکە بووین،
the condition of the cold weather
of my team members shouted,
تیمەکەم هاواری کرد،
in green uniforms with rifles,
لەبەردابوو و تفەنگیان پێبوو،
don't let them shoot my head.
تکایە فیشەکێک نەنێن بەسەرمەوە.
Laura Ling fall on her knees.
کەوتە سەر ئەژنۆ.
at that short moment,
leave her alone there
بەجێبهێڵم
"Euna, I can't feel my legs."
"ئیونا هەست بە قاچەکانم ناکەم. "
by these two Korean soldiers.
کۆرییە چواردەوریان گرتین.
to take us to their army base.
بۆ بنکە سەربازییەکەیان.
هەر جۆرە یارمەتییەک،
would show up from China.
بێت بە هانامەوە.
ڕاهێنراو کە چەکی پێیە.
he raised his rifle to hit me,
بەرزکردەوە لێمبدا،
with these worst-case scenarios,
statement wasn't helping.
قەمسەڵەکەی خۆی بۆ هێنام
بەستووەکە لێکەوت
سەربازانە ڕامدەکرد.
by these odd experiences.
under armistice for 63 years,
شەڕراگرتندان ،
in the '80s and '90s,
لە هەشتاکان و نەوەدەکاندا،
about North Korea.
دەربارەی کۆریای باکوور.
being brutally killed
just because he said,
تەنها لەبەرئەوەی وتوویەتی،
defeating these fat, big, red pig,
کە بەرازێکی سووری قەڵەوی زل دەبەزێنێ،
first leader at the time.
کۆریای باکوور لەوکاتەدا.
these horrible stories over and over
دووبارە و سێبارە
I dehumanized them,
وەک مرۆڤ سەیرم نەدەکردن، و
became equated
since I was out at the border.
strength to keep going."
بۆ ئەوەی بەردەوام بیت."
in the enemy's hand?
I thought the worst case
بیرم لە خراپترین دەکردەوە
we were all these red pigs?"
that I just showed you.
about my journey, my work,
the confession that they wanted to hear.
نووسی کە دەیویست.
to be transferred.
بۆ ئەوەی بگوازرێمەوە.
nothing else to do,
to these two female guards
they were talking about.
from an affluent family.
دەوڵەمەندەوە هاتبوو.
with these colorful dresses,
دەردەکەوت و
"My Heart Will Go On" --
"دڵم بەردەوام دەبێت" بڵێتەوە --
to torture me without knowing.
بێ ئەوەی بەخۆی بزانێت
in the morning to put on makeup,
ئارایشت بوو،
this Chinese drama,
چینی بکەن،
after watching this."
تەلەفزیۆنییەکانی خۆمان بکەم دوای ئەمە."
produced TV shows.
of a free mind than Guard A,
یەکەم کراوەتر بوو،
whenever she expressed herself.
هەرکاتێک ڕای خۆی بگوتایە.
all these female colleagues --
بانگهێشت کردبوو--
really happen in the US.
یەکجار بەیەکەوە خەوتن ڕووبدات.
young couples are not even allowed
تەنانەت بۆشیان نییە
had gotten this information,
هێنابوو،
even before I said anything.
پێدەکەنین پێش ئەوەی هیچ بڵێم.
that I was their prisoner,
کە من بەندکراوم،
to my high school classroom again.
پۆلی ئامادەیی.
grew up watching a similar cartoon,
بەدیار زنجیرەیەکی تەلەفزیۆنی هاوشێوەوە،
South Korea and the US.
ئەمریکا بووە،
these people's anger was coming from.
learning that we are enemies,
کە ئێمە دوژمنین،
that they would hate us
at Current TV at the time
لە کەرێنت تیڤی باسکرد
of Stockholm Syndrome?"
between me and the interrogator
لێکۆەرەکەم دروست دەبوو
that we couldn't climb over.
پێیدا سەربکەوین.
each other as human beings
مرۆڤ ببینین
for our children.
و ماڵئاوای لێکردم،
the detention center.
about dating life in the US --
لە ئەمریکا پرسیاریان لێکردم--
that I remember of North Korea:
ambassadors of our countries,
باڵوێزی وڵاتەکانمان نەبووین،
has blurred as time has passed.
لەگەڵ کاتدا.
about North Korea provoking the US.
کۆریای باکوور ئەمریکا توڕە دەکات.
that when I was over there,
بۆ ئەو کاتەی لەوێبووم،
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Euna Lee - JournalistEuna Lee strives to be a voice for the voiceless and a window for those with no access to outside information.
Why you should listen
A seasoned journalist with more than years of experience, Euna Lee is a television executive producer for Voice of America's Korean Service (VOA). Prior to VOA, she worked for Fusion media, AJ+ and Al Jazeera TV networks.
Lee’s name became widely known after she was captured by the North Korean regime while covering a human trafficking story for Current TV, a cable network co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore. She wrote a memoir, The World is Bigger Now, about her experience while detained in North Korea for 140 days.
Lee has received various awards for her fearless work, including McGill Medal by University of Georgia and Glamour magazine's Women of the Year Award in 2009. At VOA, she strives to be a voice for the voiceless and a window for those with no access to outside information. Born and raised in South Korea, Lee holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Euna Lee | Speaker | TED.com