From the moment I was born, I was fed propaganda. And I viewed the Kim family dynasty
not only as our fearless protectors from the imperialist forces but as gods.
Growing up I never thought our country's founder Kim Il-Sung could even go to the bathroom, like us humans.
It wasn't until the age of fourteen when I watched his funeral, I realized that he was actually human.
Until that moment, I thought our god couldn't die.
Using elaborative deceptions as tools of control the North Korean leaders
are able to indoctrinate and brainwash
the vast majority of the citizens, depriving them of their right to learn the truth about the outside world.
North Korean authorities also demand complete loyalty and submission to the system
and those who refuse are considered enemies of the state.
And they are suffering horrific human rights offenses.
For example, there have been numerous cases in my hometown where entire families disappeared
in the middle of the night: one of the family members complained.
One of my friend's father said simply to his best friend "this system is unfair" and he was sent to prison camp
while his family was forcibly relocated to a desolate place in the countryside
where it is extremely difficult to survive.
Many people in prison don't even know why they were sent there, and they were completely stunned
when they were dragged out of their homes and thrown into prison, ruining their lives forever.
I also witnessed my first public execution when I was seven years old.
I was stunned to see the crowd around the man hanging from a bridge.
North Korean authorities want people to live in a constant state of fear
so they force us to watch public executions.
Sometimes schools cancelled their classes, and the students could witness the public execution.
Attendance was mandatory.
People were even executed for very minor offenses
such as a man who stole one kilogram of grain from a farm to feed his starving family.
The North Korean authorities often imprison those who try escape
or make money in China to support their families back home.
Yes, support.
The socialist system provides no support and forces people into miserable lives of poverty and hunger.
Ultimately, the biggest killer in North Korea is starvation.
Which has killed more than a million North Korean people.
By mid 1990's I started to notice that people around me were suffering.
One day in 1995, I went to my friend's home and I noticed the whole family had nothing to eat.
And the following year, I read a letter from a woman about her whole family was dying
because they didn't have any food for weeks.
They had no energy and no health, so the five family members were lying on the floor
together and they were waiting to die.
My most vivid memory from the famine was a lifeless woman lying on the street with
while an emaciated child in her arms, just stared helplessly at his mothers face.
I was so sad.
I placed some money in the child's lap, but I knew it wouldn't last.
At the time, I still didn't know that we were suffering due to our government's failed system.
I believed the regime’s propaganda - that we were only suffering because of American sanctions.
And I praised all of the leaders for protecting us and doing their best for us.
Fortunately, information beyond the regime's control would soon help open my mind.
I lived right next to the Chinese border, so amazingly our television could pick up a few Chinese TV channels.
As I watched them secretly I became overwhelmed with curiosity and full of dreams about the outside world.
Although even watching TV was a problem because of our constant power shortages.
At night surrounded by darkness, poverty and starvation.
I often gazed across the river at China's brilliant street lights and neon signs
and I gradually realized that my country is not the best in the world.
I had been lied to all of my life.
After this revelation, I was determined to leave North Korea, to find out the truth about the outside world.
I thought that I could quickly return from the journey to China
yet I could never have imagined that it would take fourteen years until I would see my family again.
After arriving in China, I finally began to learn the truth about my country, and most importantly
I realized that a life of fear, hunger, oppression is a crime against the North Korean people.
Although I began to get a sense of freedom in China, I was also terrified since the
Chinese government would capture and repatriate North Koreans to a horrible fate back in North Korea.
I couldn't go back to North Korea because I had a rumor that I had defected
so I had to live with some distant relatives in China.
After three years of living under the radar, someone eventually reported me.
So, I was taken to the police station.
The interrogators were grilling me for a long time and forced me to read difficult Chinese news papers.
I acted calmly on the outside, but inside my heart felt like it was going to explode.
If I failed to convince them that I was Chinese, my family and I would be in huge trouble.
Thanks to the countless hours I spent studying Chinese, at that the time my Chinese language abilities
were good enough to answer those questions and read those papers.
After what seemed like an eternity one official said to another
“This was a false report, she is not North Korean.” And they let me go.
It was truly a miracle.
After ten years of living and struggling in China I decided that I wanted to see the differences
between North Korea and the life in South Korea with my own eyes.
So, I got a visa to South Korea using my Chinese passport
and finally I received asylum at South Korea’s international airport.
But, settling down in South Korea was a lot more challenging than I had expected.
North Koreans and South Koreans look similar on the outside, but inside we have changed
due to more than 60 years of division.
Throughout this time our lifestyles, cultures and even languages have become different.
And I went through a serious identity crisis.
And surprisingly, I had to face yet another language barrier in South Korea.
Since English is so important.
While studying for the university entrance exam, suddenly, everything one day changed.
I heard that my family in North Korea had a serious problem with the government because of me
so I had no choice but to risk my life by helping them to escape.
So I took a plane back to China and I met them secretly on the Chinese border with North Korea.
It is such a difficult journey for North Koreans, to travel thousands of kilometers without being caught in China.
But luckily with God's help we were able to overcome numerous encounters with the Chinese police.
Even though we made it successfully, my family was caught crossing the border into Laos
and then they were thrown into prison.
After fifty days of going back and forth between the law, immigration office and the police station
trying to negotiate their release, I realized I didn’t have enough money to pay fines and bribes anymore.
I was so distraught. The whole world seemed so dark.
But luckily the bright ray of sunshine came into my life at the time.
An Australian man named Dick who was traveling in South East Asia.
After he heard my story he paid all the fines and bribes to my family
and three other North Koreans to be freed from the same prison.
I was lucky that I left North Korea and eventually made it to South Korea.
But millions of others are still living in a virtual prison without knowing about the truth
or the concept of human rights.
Also colonies of North Korean women are suffering in China
as they are forced into sexual slavery or sold as brides.
These days North Korean refugees are playing a very important role as a bridge
between North Korea and the international community.
We send money and information inside North Korea that is helping to change North Korean people's mind.
But, North Korean refugees in South Korea are having a hard time adjusting to a highly competitive society
since we never received proper education or important job skills in North Korea.
I'm still a university student, after my graduation I will aim to support North Korean refugees
who want to receive higher education as well as North Korean students
who wants to study abroad and connect people with the international community.
Concerned people around the world, we share the responsibility to help the North Korean people
and we can do so in a bright way such as donating to charities
volunteering and urging our governments to get more involved.
Most importantly we can continue to spread the word about the plight of the North Korean people
and the crime of the Kim dynasty and work together to find viable solutions.
As free people of the world, we not only have a duty but a moral obligation to lend a helping hand
to the struggling North Korean refugees and to liberate the North Korean people
from their shackles of oppression.
Thank you for listening.