TED2013
Hyeonseo Lee: My escape from North Korea
Hyeonseo Leeová: Ako som ušla zo Severnej Kórey
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Ako malé dieťa si Hyaonseo Leeová myslela, že Severná Kórea je tou „najlepšou krajinou na svete". Až pokým krajinu nezasiahol v polovici 90. rokov hlad. Keď mala 14 rokov, utiekla, aby sa ako utečenkyňa skrývala v Číne. Jej srdcervúci príbeh je príbehom o prežití a nádeji a silným odkazom pre tých, ktorí čelia neustálemu nebezpečenstvu, aj keď sú už ďaleko za hranicami Severnej Kórey.
Hyeonseo Lee - Activist
As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thoght her country was the "best on the planet." It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 17-years-old to begin a life in hiding as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind. Full bio
As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thoght her country was the "best on the planet." It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 17-years-old to begin a life in hiding as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:16
When I was little,
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Ako malá
00:17
I thought my country was the best on the planet,
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som si myslela, že moja krajina je najlepšia na svete
00:20
and I grew up singing a song called "Nothing To Envy."
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a vyrástla som s pesničkou zvanou „Niet čo závidieť".
00:24
And I was very proud.
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Bola som veľmi hrdá.
00:26
In school, we spent a lot of time
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V škole sme
00:28
studying the history of Kim Il-Sung,
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študovali históriu nášho komunistického vodca Kima II-Sunga,
00:30
but we never learned much about the outside world,
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ale nikdy nás neučili nič o svete,
00:34
except that America, South Korea, Japan are the enemies.
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okrem toho, že Amerika, Južná Kórea a Japonsko sú naši nepriatelia.
00:39
Although I often wondered about the outside world,
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Aj keď ma svet vonku zaujímal,
00:42
I thought I would spend my entire life in North Korea,
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vždy som si myslela, že svoj celý život prežijem v Severnej Kórei,
00:46
until everything suddenly changed.
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až pokým sa všetko nezmenilo.
00:50
When I was seven years old, I saw my first public execution,
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Keď som mala sedem rokov, po prvýkrát som uvidela verejnú popravu,
00:55
but I thought my life in North Korea was normal.
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ale myslela som si, že môj život v Severnej Kórei je normálny.
00:58
My family was not poor,
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Moja rodina nebola chudobná
01:00
and myself, I had never experienced hunger.
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a nikdy som nepoznala, čo je to hlad.
01:04
But one day, in 1995, my mom brought home a letter
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Až raz, v roku 1995, mama doniesla domov list
01:08
from a coworker's sister.
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od kolegovej sestry.
01:10
It read, "When you read this, all five family members
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Stálo v ňom: „Keď budete čítať tento list, nikto z 5 členov našej rodiny
01:15
will not exist in this world,
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už nebude nažive,
01:18
because we haven't eaten for the past two weeks.
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pretože už dva týždne hladujeme.
01:22
We are lying on the floor together,
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Ležíme spolu na zemi
01:25
and our bodies are so weak we are ready to die."
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a sme takí slabí, že sme pripravení na to najhoršie."
01:33
I was so shocked.
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Šokovalo ma to.
01:37
This was the first time I heard
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Po prvýkrát v živote som počula,
01:39
that people in my country were suffering.
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že ľudia v mojej krajine trpia.
01:43
Soon after, when I was walking past a train station,
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Krátko na to som prechádzala okolo vlakovej stanice
01:46
I saw something terrible
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a uvidela som niečo také strašné,
01:48
that I can't erase from my memory.
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že na to nikdy nezabudnem.
01:52
A lifeless woman was lying on the ground,
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Na zemi ležala mŕtva žena,
01:55
while an emaciated child in her arms
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zatiaľ čo sa jej vyziabnuté dieťa
01:58
just stared helplessly at his mother's face.
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bezmocne dívalo na matkinu tvár.
02:02
But nobody helped them, because they were so focused
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Nikto im však nepomohol, pretože všetci sa sústredili
02:07
on taking care of themselves and their families.
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len na seba a svoje rodiny.
02:11
A huge famine hit North Korea in the mid-1990s.
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Severnú Kóreu v polovici 90. rokoch 20. storočia zasiahol obrovský hlad.
02:15
Ultimately, more than a million North Koreans
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Dokopy zomrelo od hladu v Severnej Kórey viac ako milión ľudí
02:18
died during the famine, and many only survived
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a mnoho prežilo len vďaka tomu,
02:21
by eating grass, bugs and tree bark.
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že sa živili trávou, chrobákmi a kôrou stromov.
02:27
Power outages also became more and more frequent,
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Výpadky elektriny boli takisto bežné,
02:30
so everything around me was completely dark at night
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takže všetko naokolo bolo v noci úplne tmavé,
02:35
except for the sea of lights in China,
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okrem svetiel v Číne,
02:37
just across the river from my home.
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ktoré bolo vidieť z môjho rodného mesta cez rieku.
02:40
I always wondered why they had lights but we didn't.
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Vždy som sa čudovala, prečo tam elektrinu majú a my nie.
02:45
This is a satellite picture showing North Korea at night
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Toto je satelitná snímka Severnej Kórey v noci
02:49
compared to neighbors.
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v porovnaní so susednými krajinami.
02:53
This is the Amrok River,
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Toto je rieka Amrok,
02:55
which serves as a part of the border
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ktorá je súčasťou hranice
02:57
between North Korea and China.
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medzi Severnou Kóreou a Čínou.
03:00
As you can see, the river can be very narrow
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Ako vidíte, na niektorých miestach je táto rieka veľmi úzka,
03:02
at certain points, allowing North Koreans to secretly cross.
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takže ľudia zo Severnej Kórey ju mohli potajme prekročiť.
03:08
But many die.
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Mnoho z nich však zomrelo.
03:10
Sometimes, I saw dead bodies floating down the river.
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Občas som videla na hladine rieky mŕtve telá.
03:17
I can't reveal many details [about] how I left North Korea,
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Mnoho detailov o tom, ako som opustila Severnú Kóreu nemôžem prezradiť,
03:22
but I only can say that during the ugly years of the famine
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ale môžem povedať, že v období hrozného hladu
03:27
I was sent to China to live with distant relatives.
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ma poslali žiť k vzdialeným príbuzným do Číny.
03:32
But I only thought
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Myslela som si,
03:34
that I would be separated from my family for a short time.
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že to bude len na krátku dobu.
03:38
I could have never imagined
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Nikdy by som si nepomyslela,
03:40
that it would take 14 years to live together.
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že bude trvať 14 rokov, kým znova uvidím svoju rodinu.
03:44
In China, it was hard living as a young girl without my family.
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Pre mladé dievča bez rodiny bolo nesmierne ťažké žiť v Číne.
03:48
I had no idea what life was going to be like
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Netušila som, aký život ma čaká
03:52
as a North Korean refugee,
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ako utečenkyňu zo Severnej Kórey,
03:54
but I soon learned it's not only extremely difficult,
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ale rýchlo som prišla na to, že to nebude len veľmi ťažké,
03:57
it's also very dangerous,
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ale aj veľmi nebezpečné,
04:00
since North Korean refugees are considered in China
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keďže utečencov zo Severnej Kórey považovali v Číne
04:05
as illegal migrants.
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za nelegálnych prisťahovalcov.
04:08
So I was living in constant fear
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Žila som v neustálom strachu,
04:10
that my identity could be revealed,
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že odhalia moju identitu
04:12
and I would be repatriated to a horrible fate
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a že ma pošlú naspäť do Severnej Kórey,
04:16
back in North Korea.
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do toho hrozného hladu.
04:18
One day, my worst nightmare came true,
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Jedného dňa sa naplnila moja najhoršia nočná mora,
04:21
when I was caught by the Chinese police
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keď ma chytili čínski policajti
04:24
and brought to the police station for interrogation.
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a vypočúvali ma na policajnej stanici.
04:28
Someone had accused me of being North Korean,
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Niekto ma obvinil, že som Severokórejčanka,
04:31
so they tested my Chinese language abilities
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takže si overovali moju čínštinu
04:35
and asked me tons of questions.
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a dávali mi nespočetne veľa otázok.
04:38
I was so scared,
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Bola som taká vystrašená,
04:41
I thought my heart was going to explode.
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že som mala pocit, že mi srdce vyskočí z hrude.
04:44
If anything seemed unnatural, I could be imprisoned
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Ak by sa im čo i len jediná vec nepozdávala,
04:47
and repatriated.
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mohli ma uväzniť a poslať naspäť.
04:49
I thought my life was over,
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Myslela som si, že sa môj život skončil,
04:52
but I managed to control all the emotions inside me
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ale podarilo sa mi ovládnuť emócie
04:55
and answer the questions.
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a zodpovedať všetky otázky.
04:57
After they finished questioning me,
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Keď sa vypočúvanie skončilo,
04:59
one official said to another,
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jeden z policajtov povedal tomu druhému,
05:01
"This was a false report.
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„Bol to falošný poplach.
05:03
She's not North Korean."
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Nie je to Severokórejčanka."
05:05
And they let me go. It was a miracle.
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A pustili ma. Bol to zázrak.
05:09
Some North Koreans in China seek asylum
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Niektorí Severokórejčania v Číne hľadajú útočisko
05:12
in foreign embassies,
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na zahraničných veľvyslanectvách,
05:15
but many can be caught by the Chinese police
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ale môže ich chytiť čínska polícia
05:18
and repatriated.
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a vyhostiť.
05:19
These girls were so lucky.
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Tieto dievčatá mali šťastie.
05:22
Even though they were caught,
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Aj keď ich chytili,
05:23
they were eventually released
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napokon ich na medzinárodný nátlak
05:25
after heavy international pressure.
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pustili.
05:28
These North Koreans were not so lucky.
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Títo Severokórejčania však toľko šťastia nemali.
05:31
Every year, countless North Koreans are caught in China
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Každý rok chytia v Číne mnoho Severokórejčanov
05:35
and repatriated to North Korea,
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a pošlú ich naspäť do Kórey,
05:38
where they can be tortured, imprisoned
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kde ich mučia, uväznia
05:41
or publicly executed.
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alebo verejne popravia.
05:44
Even though I was really fortunate to get out,
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Aj keď sa mi podarilo ujsť,
05:47
many other North Koreans have not been so lucky.
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mnoho Severokórejčanov nemalo to šťastie.
05:50
It's tragic that North Koreans have to hide their identities
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Je tragédiou, že Severokórejčania musia skrývať svoju identitu
05:54
and struggle so hard just to survive.
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a bojovať, aby vôbec prežili.
05:58
Even after learning a new language and getting a job,
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Aj keď sa naučia jazyk a získajú prácu,
06:01
their whole world can be turned upside down in an instant.
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ich celý svet sa môže v sekunde zrútiť.
06:05
That's why, after 10 years of hiding my identity,
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Práve preto, po 10 rokoch skrývania svojej identity,
06:09
I decided to risk going to South Korea,
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som sa rozhodla riskovať, ísť do Južnej Kórey
06:13
and I started a new life yet again.
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a začať svoj život odznova.
06:16
Settling down in South Korea was a lot more challenging
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Usadiť sa v Južnej Kórei bolo omnoho náročnejšie
06:19
than I had expected.
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ako som čakala.
06:22
English was so important in South Korea,
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V Južnej Kórei musíte vedieť po anglicky,
06:25
so I had to start learning my third language.
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takže som sa začala učiť tretí jazyk.
06:28
Also, I realized there was a wide gap
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Takisto som si uvedomila aké rozdiely
06:31
between North and South.
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existujú medzi Severom a Juhom.
06:33
We are all Korean, but inside,
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Všetci sme Kórejčania, ale vo vnútri,
06:36
we have become very different
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sme veľmi rozdielni
06:37
due to 67 years of division.
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pre 67 rokov, ktoré sme už rozdelení.
06:41
I even went through an identity crisis.
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Dokonca som zažila krízu identity.
06:45
Am I South Korean or North Korean?
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Som Juhokórejčanka alebo Severokórejčanka?
06:48
Where am I from? Who am I?
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Odkiaľ som? Kto som?
06:51
Suddenly, there was no country
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Zrazu som nevedela,
06:53
I could proudly call my own.
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ktorú krajinu môžem hrdo nazvať svojou domovinou.
06:59
Even though adjusting to life in South Korea was not easy,
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Aj keď bolo prispôsobenie sa životu v Južnej Kórei ťažké,
07:03
I made a plan.
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mala som plán.
07:04
I started studying for the university entrance exam.
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Začala som sa učiť na prijímačky na vysokú školu.
07:07
Just as I was starting to get used to my new life,
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Práve keď som si už začala zvykať na svoj nový život,
07:11
I received a shocking phone call.
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dostala som šokujúci telefonát.
07:14
The North Korean authorities
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Severokórejske úrady
07:15
intercepted some money that I sent to my family,
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zablokovali peniaze, ktoré som poslala rodine,
07:18
and, as a punishment, my family was going
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a za trest mali moju rodinu
07:21
to be forcibly removed
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vysťahovať
07:23
to a desolate location in the countryside.
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na zbedačený vidiek.
07:27
They had to get out quickly,
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Museli sa odtiaľ okamžite dostať,
07:29
so I started planning how to help them escape.
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takže som začala plánovať ich útek.
07:33
North Koreans have to travel incredible distances
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Severokórejčania museli na ceste za slobodou
07:36
on the path to freedom.
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prejsť neskutočné vzdialenosti.
07:39
It's almost impossible to cross the border
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Je takmer nemožné prekročiť hranicu
07:42
between North Korea and South Korea,
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medzi Severnou a Južnou Kóreou,
07:45
so, ironically, I took a flight back to China
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takže paradoxne, som odletela naspäť do Číny
07:48
and I headed toward the North Korean border.
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a vydala sa k severokórejskej hranici.
07:52
Since my family couldn't speak Chinese,
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Keďže nik z mojej rodiny nehovoril po čínsky,
07:55
I had to guide them,
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musela som ich nejako previesť,
07:57
somehow, through more than 2,000 miles in China
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viac ako 3000 kilometrov cez Čínu
08:01
and then into Southeast Asia.
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a potom do juhovýchodnej Ázie.
08:04
The journey by bus took one week,
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Cesta autobusom trvala týždeň
08:06
and we were almost caught several times.
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a niekoľkokrát nás takmer chytili.
08:09
One time, our bus was stopped
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Raz náš autobus zastavili
08:12
and boarded by a Chinese police officer.
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a nastúpili doň čínsky policajt.
08:17
He took everyone's I.D. cards,
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Pozbieral všetky občianske preukazy
08:19
and he started asking them questions.
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a začal sa vypytovať.
08:21
Since my family couldn't understand Chinese,
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Keďže moja rodina mu nerozumela,
08:25
I thought my family was going to be arrested.
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myslela som si, že ich zatkne.
08:29
As the Chinese officer approached my family,
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Keď prišiel čínsky policajt k mojej rodine,
08:32
I impulsively stood up, and I told him
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z ničoho nič som sa pred neho postavila a povedala mu,
08:34
that these are deaf and dumb people
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že sú to hluchonemí ľudia,
08:37
that I was chaperoning.
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ktorých sprevádzam.
08:39
He looked at me suspiciously,
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Podozrievavo sa na mňa pozrel,
08:42
but luckily he believed me.
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ale našťastie mi uveril.
08:45
We made it all the way to the border of Laos,
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Podarilo sa nám dostať až k hranici s Laosom,
08:49
but I had to spend almost all my money
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no minula som takmer všetky svoje peniaze
08:53
to bribe the border guards in Laos.
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ako úplatok pre hraničných policajtov v Laose.
08:56
But even after we got past the border,
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Potom čo sme prekročili hranicu,
08:59
my family was arrested and jailed
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moju rodinu chytili a uväznili
09:02
for illegal border crossing.
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za nepovolený vstup do krajiny.
09:04
After I paid the fine and bribe,
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Keď som zaplatila pokutu a úplatok,
09:06
my family was released in one month,
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moju rodinu po mesiaci pustili,
09:10
but soon after, my family was arrested and jailed again
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ale čoskoro ich opäť uväznili
09:14
in the capital of Laos.
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v hlavnom meste Laosu.
09:16
This was one of the lowest points in my life.
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Bol to jeden z najhorších momentov môjho života,
09:21
I did everything to get my family to freedom,
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urobila som úplne všetko, aby som dostala rodinu na slobodu,
09:26
and we came so close,
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boli sme tak blízko,
09:29
but my family was thrown in jail
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ale opäť ich uväznili,
09:31
just a short distance from the South Korean embassy.
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blízko veľvyslanectva Južnej Kórey.
09:34
I went back and forth between the immigration office
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Chodila som hore-dole z emigračného úradu
09:37
and the police station,
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na policajnú stanicu,
09:39
desperately trying to get my family out,
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zúfalo sa snažiac dostať moju rodinu z väzenia,
09:42
but I didn't have enough money
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ale nemala som dosť peňazí
09:44
to pay a bribe or fine anymore.
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na úplatky alebo pokutu.
09:46
I lost all hope.
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Stratila som všetku nádej.
09:48
At that moment, I heard one man's voice ask me,
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A v tom momente sa mi prihovoril akýsi muž.
09:52
"What's wrong?"
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„Čo sa deje?"
09:53
I was so surprised
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Prekvapilo ma,
09:55
that a total stranger cared enough to ask.
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že sa ku mne prihovoril cudzinec.
09:59
In my broken English, and with a dictionary,
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Lámanou angličtinou a s pomocou slovníka,
10:01
I explained the situation, and without hesitating,
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som mu vysvetlila situáciu a bez váhania
10:05
the man went to the ATM
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šiel k bankomatu,
10:07
and he paid the rest of the money for my family
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zaplatil zvyšok peňazí
10:10
and two other North Koreans to get out of jail.
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a dostal moju rodinu a ďalších dvoch Severokórejčanov z väzenia.
10:14
I thanked him with all my heart, and I asked him,
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Z celého srdca som mu poďakovala a opýtala sa ho,
10:18
"Why are you helping me?"
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„Prečo mi pomáhate?"
10:20
"I'm not helping you," he said.
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„Nepomáham Vám," odpovedal.
10:22
"I'm helping the North Korean people."
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„Pomáham ľuďom zo Severnej Kórey."
10:26
I realized that this was a symbolic moment in my life.
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Pochopila som, že toto je symbolická chvíľa v mojom živote.
10:30
The kind stranger symbolized new hope for me
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Tento milý cudzinec dal novú nádej mne
10:34
and the North Korean people when we needed it most,
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a ľuďom zo Severnej Kórey, keď sme to najviac potrebovali,
10:37
and he showed me the kindness of strangers
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ukázal mi, že milosť
10:40
and the support of the international community
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a podpora medzinárodného spoločenstva
10:43
are truly the rays of hope we North Korean people need.
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sú pravou nádejou, ktorú potrebuje Severná Kórea.
10:48
Eventually, after our long journey,
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Napokon, po našej dlhej ceste,
10:51
my family and I were reunited in South Korea,
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sme sa konečne ja a moja rodina stretli v Južnej Kórei,
10:54
but getting to freedom is only half the battle.
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ale dostať sa na slobodu je len polovica úspechu.
10:58
Many North Koreans are separated from their families,
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Mnoho Severokórejčanov je oddelených od svojich rodín,
11:01
and when they arrive in a new country,
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a keď sa dostanú do novej krajiny,
11:04
they start with little or no money.
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začínajú s málo alebo žiadnymi peniazmi.
11:08
So we can benefit from the international community
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Takže môžeme získať podporu od medzinárodného spločenstva
11:11
for education, English language training,
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na vzdelanie, výučbu angličtiny,
11:14
job training, and more.
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pracovné kurzy a mnoho ďalších vecí.
11:16
We can also act as a bridge
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Takisto môžeme slúžiť ako most
11:18
between the people inside North Korea
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medzi Severokórejčanmi
11:20
and the outside world,
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a vonkajším svetom,
11:22
because many of us stay in contact
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pretože mnoho z nás je stále v kontakte
11:25
with family members still inside,
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s rodinou v Kórei
11:28
and we send information and money
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a zásobujeme ich informáciami a peniazmi,
11:30
that is helping to change North Korea from inside.
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ktoré pomáhajú meniť Severnú Kóreu zvnútra.
11:35
I've been so lucky, received so much help
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Mala som obrovské šťastie, dostalo sa mi veľkej pomoci
11:38
and inspiration in my life,
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a inšpirácie do života,
11:40
so I want to help give aspiring North Koreans
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takže chcem dať ctižiadostivým Severokórejčanom
11:43
a chance to prosper
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šancu na zlepšenie
11:46
with international support.
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spolu s medzinárodnou podporou.
11:49
I'm confident that you will see more and more
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Som presvedčená, že sa stále viac a viac
11:51
North Koreans succeeding all over the world,
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Severokórejčanov stane úspešnými po celom svete,
11:54
including the TED stage.
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vrátane na javisku TED-u.
11:57
Thank you.
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Ďakujem.
11:59
(Applause)
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(Potlesk)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Hyeonseo Lee - ActivistAs a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thoght her country was the "best on the planet." It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 17-years-old to begin a life in hiding as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind.
Why you should listen
Hyeonseo Lee grew up in North Korea but escaped to China in 1997. In 2008, when she was 28-years-old, she came to Seoul, South Korea, where she struggled to adjust to life in the bustling city. North Korean defectors often have a hard time in South Korea, she noted in the Wall Street Journal: "We defectors have to start from scratch. Prejudice against North Koreans and icy stares were other obstacles that were hard to cope with."
Now a student at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, she has become an advocate for fellow refugees, even helping close relatives leave North Korea after they were targeted. Her dream? As she told the Korea Times, she'd like to work at the UN or an NGO that advocates for the human rights of North Koreans, including their right to be treated as political refugees.
She has a new book called The Girl with Seven Names.
Hyeonseo Lee | Speaker | TED.com