Hyeonseo Lee: My escape from North Korea
Hyeonseo Lee: Min flugt fra Nordkorea
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.
det bedste i verden,
"Intet at misunde".
så jeg min første offentlige henrettelse,
har alle fem familiemedlemmer
de havde lys, når vi ikke havde.
om min flugt fra Nordkorea.
de hårdeste år af hungersnøden
som ung pige uden min familie.
kunne jeg blive fængslet
er nødt til at skjule deres identiteter
efter at have skjult min identitet i 10 år
var meget mere udfordrende
universitetets adgangseksamen.
som jeg havde sendt til min familie,
symboliserede et nyt håb for mig
vi nordkoreanere har brug for.
fra deres familier,
fra det internationale fællesskab
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