Hyeonseo Lee: My escape from North Korea
Hyeonseo Lee: La mia fuga dalla Corea del Nord
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.
intitolata "Niente da invidiare".
il Giappone erano dei nemici.
tutta la mia vita in Corea del Nord,
vidi la mia prima esecuzione pubblica,
in Corea del Nord fosse normale.
mia madre portò a casa una lettera
tutti e cinque i membri della famiglia
da essere pronti a morire".
nella metà degli anni '90.
perché loro avessero luci e noi no.
che mosta la Corea del Nord di notte
di attraversare in segreto.
su come ho lasciato la Corea del Nord,
a vivere con dei parenti lontani.
solo per un breve periodo.
senza la mia famiglia.
non solo è estremamente difficile,
sarei stata messa in prigione
tutte le emozioni dentro di me
vengono catturati in Cina
debbano nascondere le loro identità
e aver trovato un lavoro,
sottosopra in un solo istante.
a nascondere la mia identità,
Corea del Sud non è stato facile,
di ammissione all'università.
che ho inviato alla mia famiglia,
ho preso un volo per la Cina
di un uomo che mi chiedeva,
qualcosa tanto da chiederlo.
e con un dizionario,
e gli ho chiesto:
significativo nella mia vita.
una nuova speranza per me
ne avevamo più bisogno,
abbiamo realmente bisogno.
ho ricevuto così tanto aiuto
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