What I learned about freedom after escaping North Korea | Yeonmi Park | TED
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- čas přidán 25. 09. 2019
- "North Korea is unimaginable," says human rights activist Yeonmi Park, who escaped the country at the age of 13. Sharing the harrowing story of her childhood, she reflects on the fragility of freedom -- and shows how change can be achieved even in the world's darkest places.
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Thank you so much for your care and kind words everyone!
Thank you so much for teaching us the value of something that we take for granted. You are a living monument of freedom, ma'am.
You're the bravest person for doing that, you're courageous for speaking up for north koreans who don't have any liberty, who are dying. You're doing everything you can to save them, and that's the best thing you did. You deserve the Liberty, as well as everyone else in conditions like that.
You inspire me so much!!!!!! You are my hero! I want to help more people because of you. Because of you i want to make a positive difference in the world. I want to help your North Korean people!
🥺🙂
It was earthshaking!
This is courage! Her voice is shaking with fear but she speaks anyway.
Courage is not the absence of fear, it is feeling fear and doing it anyway.
Superb I liked your words
Nice
From Jayne you’re so right!
She's a great actress. She's been pulling this scam for years. If you watch all her prior talks, you'll see her story changes every time and her acting improves.
@@JaySee5 What's the scam? What is she trying to scam us out of?
"Freedom is fragile" this is so true. Believe her. I'm from Venezuela and I know how fragile freedom is.
Freedom is fragile everywhere in this world but with different intensity / severrity
♥️ love and prayers from Brazil
Exactly!!!!!! :/
tell that to the woke kids who think the country should be destroyed and government should operate everything.
As if she would care about human dignity or freedom.
That North Korean woman Yeonmi is a conservative Anti-Woke priest.
Who are the 1.2k people who gave this a thumbs down? Do they prefer oppression, starvation, and despair to freedom and hope? Yeounmi Park speaks with unbelievable grace, eloquence, and courage; and I am astonished to see that anyone could listen to her words and feel anything negative towards her. Listening to her speak about learning to feel compassion moved me to tears, and I am profoundly grateful to her for having the courage to share her experience with the world.
Probably the higher up of the military and even kim himself
Or actual psychopaths.
people who wants attention
I'll give you a hint.
/ahem/
"tHaT wAsN't rEaL sOCiaLiSm."
Or CCP's little pink downvoting every video they watch about freedom
"If you have never practised critical thinking, then you simply see what you’re told to see."
Wise words...
so true. at the age of 8 I saw the Vietnamese officials came into my grandparents' house at night and took whatever they deemed "valuable and capitalistic materials" I saw my father and uncle hid our family jewelries behind the chopped woods (for cooking). I thought to myself 'why did they do that to us? are they supposed to protect us from harm and robbers?" Then I got angry every time I heard similar stories like ours. At the age of 12, I tried to escape as 'boat people' alone with other people but failed 2x. The last time I made it out to a refugee camp in Malaysia when I was 15yo. I was being indoctrinated by the communists with books and stories, movies, shows, radio broadcasts, newspaper, etc. I hated the US and thought Ho chi Minh was godlike, just like the speaker thought of the Kims family until that fateful evening. It opens my eyes and the fire started burning inside me. My uncle told me about America has liberty. Since then all I could think was to live in America which I had no idea what's like but liberty is all I wanted. I still remembered 'coming to America' was my dying wish and it was the fire inside me. I am very fortunate my family had the foresight to know that and made my dream a reality. It's not a day that I am not grateful for just waking up in America. I am grateful for cleaning water, great parks, awesome creeks that we could walk into. I am grateful for having the freedom to criticize the government officials at will. Thousands of journalists and religious leaders, environmental activists have been killed for just telling the true in Vietnam. The commies just issued a new law to jail whoever 'bad mouth' their leaders/party members. Share her story and this story to your nephews and nieces to open their eyes to the world around them. They better start educating themselves about the republic and communism to choose better. I was born in the Republic of South Vietnam, and I will die in a republic country of America. I will not tolerate any communism ideology!
What's scary is that schools aren't really doing critical thinking anymore. Ask a 12 year old where does milk come from they say the supermarket. I mean before the supermarket, where does it come from? Nooo it just comes from the supermarket!
Now that I think about it my younger cousin is already believing the lies of feminism xD
I condemn this video and the thinking promoted by it - a true follower of our Supreme leader from New India.
milk comes from the raped abused cows who were forcefully artificially inseminated, then their babies were taken away, and in the end they get slaughtered, stabbed in the throats, hanging upside down, enduring agonizing bloody death and fear. And people in supermarkets are just paying with their wallets to make this horror continue, though there are so many plant based alternatives nowadays, but lots of people don't even give a damn and continue feeding their families with unhealthy animal body secretions. This is the truth they should teach us at schools.
if you do not know you are a slave how do you fight to be a free ...... great words .
True.
Holy crap.. didnt think about that way
@crownpanda Just like the American immigrants
@crownpanda You should have more sympathy to new immigrants to the United States, they have no free! My great American people, please help these poor immigrants!
@crownpanda their are many different forms of freedom.
"If you don’t know you’re a slave, if you don’t know you’re isolated or oppressed, how do you fight to be free?" So true. She’s so wise!
As if she would care about human dignity or freedom.
That North Korean woman is a conservative Anti-Woke priest.
Yeonmi Park is a damned right-wing anti-woke Preacher, a cold hearted snake, and a MAGA fangirl.
I just want to reach out to her and give her a hug. When she said "Now I live in the United States as a free person", it brought tears to my eyes and made me realize just how grateful I should be for everything that I have :)
Poor black american cetizens . They dont have the same freedom from the cops despite been brought to US as slaves . Maybe you should hug the american cops too
@@saravana21543 I hope you genuinely realize how terrible a thing you just said was. This woman survived something worse than any western world could ever do. Respect her. And western struggles shouldnt be put down, Black people do need hugs. Cops who want to help need hugs. Oppressors do not. ♡
@@O_O7z he can’t , he has a message he wants to spread , but y’all named your thing wrong , shoulda been Black Lives Matter too , then , no one could hit you with the all lives matter , but I digress , this was another persons struggle and story , don’t try and hijack it, now I’m Canadian but , I could gaurentee , no one in the states goes through what she described ,that’s my only peeve , acting like the west is worse , somehow ; then place like that nightmare
@@curtism8707 I hope you can recognize that what I was doing was not putting down anyone's struggles. Everyone struggles and some are worse than others but that doesn't mean we should put anyone down. Abuse is abuse. It's like comparing the mental health of the rich and the poor. No deserves to suffer from suicidal thoughts and no ones suffering of it deserves to be put down. However we can acknowledge that they are very different struggles with different impacts on their lives.
Also, I hope this doesn't come off as rude. But your use of punctuation confuses me in certain areas so if I have misunderstood anything feel free to clear that up. ♡
@@saravana21543 I didn't mean anything at all related to anti-blm, in fact I stand for blm. I merely stated something she said from the ted talk and seeing her finally happy after years of struggling made me happy. Thats what I meant.
When she said "It only took three generations to make North Korea into George Orwell's 1984"... I got goosebumps...
Realistically, it only took 1 generation to make North Korea into George Orwell's 1984, 3 generations just solidified it as normal.
undead890 But on 1984 the system was normalized, but I get your point.
That's what Ted Bundy thinks
the USA is one more generation away from north korea. You guys even voluntarily want to build your own prison, the wall ....
I immidiately thought of 1984 when she said about the meaning of words in North Korea.
"If you know that you are isolated then you are not isolated" - what a deep thought. What a brave girl!
This script is prepared by the organizers and given ti her to read . Can you think a bit deeper .
@@saravana21543 How would you know? Were you there when they gave it to her. What makes you think she didn't write that. I'm sure she wrote everything she spoke. She experienced that. Also she is very intelligent, do you think a random person can just pop on ted talk?
@@saravana21543 she has her own channel where she speaks much more about this also she has written her own book so now what do you think
@@couldrain2971 because you can easily tell? Use your brain, yes she is intelligent but she didn't write all this.(Like her being from North Korea and knowing who George Orwell is etc)
@@yourtrappedinmygenjutsu maybe somebody from outside North Korea spoke to her about it?, or because with her own base of knowledge and curiosity she found information about him and read his work?.
"North Koreans cannot speak for themselves"
Those words kill me
I don't know what to say but I wish each and every person in north korea should be freed and migrate to explore the world.
Her every single word, single sentence was giving me goosebumps.....
This is courage and it reminds me of a quote by Nelson Mandela "courage is not the absence of fear, it's triumph over it" (he wrote this quote in his autobiography)
I am really feeling happy for this lady and her sister.
Her every single word, single sentence is brazen lies.
@@kristoffer3000 lies?
@@Abby-bh9mj Yes, every word.
As if she would care about human dignity or freedom.
That North Korean woman Yeonmi is a conservative Anti-Woke priest.
Every time she spoke I thought she was going to cry. Then I realized I was the one crying
then you were crying for lies. she's the Jussie smollet of skorea.
切
me too
See more Indians and you will cry forever
Tahoe Phoenix frick
"If you don't know you are a slave, how do you fight to be free?"
Eren wants to know your location
@@sagarpatel5312 lmao exactly what I thought
The best part, all of us in the democratic world are also slaves to the monetary system which we dont realise . Nice democratic capitalism world ... work for the cooperates / pay banks for purchase of house with total interest higher than the capital taken / pay insurance for your health ( best part insurance companies only registers heathy ones .. those with underlying chronic or congenital disease are not allowed to get insurance ) than pay all kind of taxes .. you name it from gov tax/ service tax / GST . So work till we die . We need to remember slavery has never been abolished but improvised involving everybody .
@@saravana21543 You do realize that erradicating the money will also give everyone a chance to get whatever resource they want for whatever plan they have (whether if it's good or bad) right?
And let's not mention an accelerated rythm of wasting resources at certain areas creating a war based on vice and consumism
@@saravana21543 That’s not slavery, slavery involves having your life controlled including working for free without having any choice of the matter.
Yeonmi’s book has completely changed my understanding of freedom, and how fragile it is. Absolutely stellar mind!
now you know how fragile it is, learn how hard it was to get. then tell your woke friends.
As if she would care about human dignity or freedom.
That North Korean woman Yeonmi is a conservative Anti-Woke priest.
" Nothing is forever, and that is why we have every reason to be hopeful. " Words that are so beautifully said.
"Not because I'm a psychopath, but because I never learned the concept of compassion." I love that quote
The quote is prepared by the organizers
So does that mean human dont have compassion by nature? Is it something to learn?
@@Nova_1945 Kinda yeah- it all matters on who raises that human up- if you have cruel people raising you, you'll learn cruelty unless you have outer sources who are teaching you compassion.
@@Nova_1945 it just depends on what you grew with and what you were taught
@@dontdenyme agreed! 👍
“The fact that we speak about animals reveals how beautiful our heart is. We care about animals that cannot speak for themselves. Right now, North Koreans can not speak for themselves.” - This line brought tears to my eyes.
Americans talk about animals n human rights .. but they dont speak against their leaders who bomb innocent in Vietnam Iraq Syria Libya n many more
Hope when you see your country bombing many countries n killing .. you should have tears too
It did me too!
@@saravana21543 Gaslighting. You seem like a narcacist
@Christina Jenkins
We have a hard time feeling sympathy for North Koreans until we see Yeonmi Park. I think it is the same for people in Iraq and Syria we just need a human face to the tradjedy.
There are no words to describe how absolutely amazing this woman is. After reading her book, I am in awe seeing her on stage with her shaky voice that is still so strong. Brava, Yeonmi, you have my highest respect
As if she would care about human dignity or freedom.
That North Korean woman Yeonmi is a conservative Anti-Woke priest.
Just read her autobiography. It’s amazing. Everyone should read it
I'd rather just read normal fairytales, they're more truthful than her stories.
@@kristoffer3000 what the
@@phantomgamingignt6275 what?
@@kristoffer3000 what you mean about truthfull
She was caught lying. But I am sure North Korea is really an awful place anyway.
I started tearing up when she said “I now live in the United States as a free person”.
I’m so happy for her. She, amongst millions of people, deserve this freedom.
QueenofDoge25 Me too!
As the greatest country on earth, U.S. is the hope for every oppressed person.
tell that to george floyd
Hahaha
G H erm the US is definitely not the greatest country on earth
She cried thousands tears without shedding a one while speaking.
@Dinesh Truth you see what you want to see.
Brilliant obsevation .
@Dinesh Truth totally agree with you . ( but maybe not the figure of the amount paid . I think she is paid more
@Dinesh Truth exactly .
@Dinesh Truth Liar.
"If you have never practiced critical thinking then you simply see what you're told to see" - so well put
I just want to give her a hug for being courageous.
I don’t know why it never occurred to me that we fight for animal rights while there are humans that don’t even know the concept of it.
Because you are told what to believe by the media.
It's the dog before God crowd.
just because something else is worse, doesn't mean it is not worth fighting for!
@sTiKyt wow that sounds horrible, you have to buy things you need???!?
@sTiKyt wat? SO you're left with 50$? that#s plenty of money
“I noticed that he was the only fat person in the country”
Everyone: haha she said the thing
could't agree more
Because all under his rule are starving. Never thought this kind of country exists...
You misunderstand, the emperor has no clothes.
He is rip now
@@rana_partap123 really made the news
“Not knowing you’re truly isolated is true isolation” that’s so deep.
Beauty, brains and more. Thank God for your freedom, I hope North Korean citizens get freedom
hope TED invites her back to share her experiences in the university
Haha she's banned now. She was only tolerated bc she was mad at Trump for a min
im from iran and altough its definatly not as bad as there but still...dictatorship is dictatorship...i hope someday i can leave here ...pray for me
God be with you
I hope some day whole Iran will be free 🙏 love from Turkiye.
I heard Iron had more freedom before the revaluation.
god bless you im praying for you
@@goldenrazor3390 thanks it means alot ❤
The pain reflects in her voice. Imagine what happens to the people who still live there.
It hurts 😭
Her voice ... she is a damm good actor
@@saravana21543 Lmao you've been replying with bs under every single comment. Tell me more about Yeonmi Park, since you seem to know her so well.
@@stegosaurus8348 all she did is compliment her
Man just take a chill pill
@@lollove9974 Um no. They're saying she's fake. They've been saying it under every comment. Saying she's acting isn't a compliment.
i literally cried throughout her speech trying to imagine how it would feel like to be in her positions or those who are living such a place. like i can see all the taunting emotions coming out from her voice: fear, broken, hopelessness. Anyways, tThis is one of the best speeches i've ever heard as it articulates so many voiceless individuals. Great job!
She was 13 when I was born... I am 13....its been 13 years and she still drops tears while speaking.. Clearly shows what life in North Korea meant
"Not knowing is the true definition of isolation"
Deep. And we can feel the hurts...
heartsincerity that struck right into me😭
"Freedom is fragile... I don't want to alarm you, but it is..." AMAZINGLY up-to-date issue! THANK YOU, sweet young NKorean lady!
Thank you!
That's what I was thinking. Today we see that freedom is fragile. Today when the people are told to stay home...
@@olgakoliichuk7430She's right.However,I think freedom needs to be restricted partly.Unrestricted freedom is bound to result in the exploitation of the weak by the strong.
Proud to be an Indian.
@@olgakoliichuk7430 oh boy...
Her book is so awesome I recommend it 100 times. She is so good at leaving breadcrumbs at the end of chapters, but it's the story that is so powerful.
Oh my god , her voice explained everything. She has witnessed so much sorrow. Please god, save North Korea. Please please 🙏🙏🙏
I've seen her speak couple years ago. Wow her public speaking and English has improved tremendously. I have never been so proud of someone I don't personally know. Despite having gone through an intense rough life, I admire her bravery and courage to speak the truth.
Ive seen her speak in that pink dress few years ago. She was 16 at the time i think. Maybe 18. But yes. Same girl. Hope she can turn that world upside down
"the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony"
@@simondv5600 hold up was she the girl from the other one?
@@briankim2555 yes
Great job
"If you don't know if you're isolated or oppressed, how will you fight to be free?"
That’s why humans have “intelligence”. This girl had it, thus she knew it.!
IT is also true to you😃
EBBY THOMAS, you sure did not watched the video. These are her words, dummy.
@@arvinyu7520 thats nice of you
Good question for Americans.
When I saw this pop up in my recommendations I knew I had to watch, but I had to wait until I got home from work because I knew I might cry.
I learnt one thing that was just merely an abstract concept way back in school. The application and praxis of Foucault discourse in Yeonmi's delineation of "concepts". Words are important for the formulation of values and the shaping of world view. Just imagine the deliberate expunging of a particular word just because you are so fearful, you not only kill human literally, but also the humanity in a person.
If you know you are isolated, then you are not isolated. Not knowing is the true definition of isolation...Yeonmi Park
I'm completely floored. Her words have such a profound impact on my senses. I'm relieved for her, but think about the North Koreans who still haven't "escaped to the light for their bowl of rice". May light shine on them all.
Just another liar
@@lostcyberheather Just another american
H Liu how much kim jong un pay u ?
She is telling from her experiences that end in North Korea when she was 13. Of course you would have not a clear and grown up understanding of certain concepts. Of course most North Koreans know they are not free.
What a complete bullshit quote
"Freedom is fragile"..the brave lady had me in tears.
I was as well. What a brave lady with a very wise warning to the world.
@discorperted probably they all would be dead by now, because the hunger was already affecting them and her dad also taken to do forced work.
Hahahahaha
@discorperted She escaped with her family. Read they book.
@Drew Hong They hated her so much, she became famous as an Actress on South Korean TV. Make up another lie.
When i feel like i am having a bad day i listen to this TED talk and how courageous Yeonmi and her family are. I will be reading In Order To live. I wish you continued strength in you're new life..
Same! Although I did grow up in poverty and and an abusive home in the U.S. (but certainly not oppression), I have a better life now but lately when I feel like things are hard I remember watching Yeonmi Park on Joe Rogan and remind myself that I have a home, plenty of food, a car, internet, free speech, freedom, and a good life. These days, a bad day does not mean a bad life. Grateful and blessed.
What she said regarding freedom made me realize that I have one. It’s also sad to hear what she had to go through and the remaining people in North Korea are going through. It’s really brave of her to speak out and expose the truth to the world.
I'm going to cry with her loving voice. Freedom comes at a cost.
BS
Hong Kong Uncensored ?????
Kara Mamamia Yeonmi Park is a liars deceived you all westerners.
A. A. People that visit North Korea are only allowed to be in certain places where they’re not exposed to the truth
A. A. She is lying for her looks and fame she fabricated her stories.
I feel she is crying, but no tears
perhaps the people who thoroughly suffered and endured adversity learned to cry silently
You see her lies.
liar doesn't tears
@@zjack-pn9wn grammar 100
This is the art of public speaking we can’t cry on your own speech because it might not look good while we’re speaking and to the audience.
It’s what I learn from Public Speaking:)
If it wrong I’m sorry.
I've keenly followed Yeonmi and learnt so much about NK. This Ted Talk broke my heart but it also warmed it. The standing ovation at the end was so touching.
An amazing resilient courageous and brave lady. Yeonmi Park makes sense and it hits straight to the core.
Injustices and cruelty can never remain unpunished but when it's insidiously ignored by the entire world on purpose it's shameful.
I can’t stop cryig😭 I’m so blessed to born in South Korea. I hope we could be united...
well said
Someday before too late, before the displaced South Koreans who have family in North Korea died.... we need to be united....for sure.
Wow!... imagine what a thought 👍👍😱
I wish the Korean people will be united and be prosper too
💓
She actually wrote a book about her escape from North Korea which is also quite inspiring and a more in-depth look into life in NK if anyone wants to read it.
It's called "In Order To Live"
Joshua Callister Thank you for this! I just ordered it
Joshua Callister ooh, a book about escape?
*Yes*
one of the most impressive book, even among the NK escape books
Thanks!!
yeah she did, it was bad enough, turned out she left the worst parts out of the book cause she thought she wouldnt be able to find a husband. turns out she was right, so she married an american. south koreans arent very receptive to northerners, especially women who have been used poorly.
I live in United State as a free person
I shed my tears silently
Despite her accent & shaking tone, it gives me tear 😭 that's true bravery
"Nothing is forever in this world, that is why we have every reason to be hopeful"
I literally read this comment while she was saying it word for word
In the meantime, millions are suffering everyday !! How sad.
She is crying inside, holding everything in so that no tears will come out while speaking to people and be heard. Yet she smiled all throughout her speech. I admire her. She is strong. 😊👏
You can get a girl out of North Korea, but you can't get North Korea out of the girl
Tony
If she received that amount of money and gave the speech, it means that she let the pride of her country go away.
If a person of a country let their pride go away, is that country worth living?
You are right, holding the cry inside and smile outside, brave, adorable
I look up to Yeonmi Park. Such a strong women, being able to spread her voice despite shaking out of fear. She is truly amazing. Words can not express it…
Im in tears. And right now I have so much respect for you Yeonmi. Thank you so much fro sharing your story with us. We're here for you. More power and strength to you! ✊🏼♥️
"My father was sent to a labor camp for illegal trading. He was selling clogs, sugar, rice, and later copper. To feed us," I can't say how much I felt sympathy for her, and I went in tears.
Edit: Thank you for 356 likes,, even though I wasn't chasing after likes it's still nice to know you guys agree =)
Yulee Oh This is what some people on the left, in the US, don’t understand about totalitarianism.
Dave Davis I know. And people want more government in America. Nothing good comes out of big government PERIOD.
I did! SOOO MUCH I take for granted living in the states with ALL the freedoms we have after I immigrated here from Russia 24 yrs ago next month. We have it's so different in allot of places in the world especially there!
😭😭😭
This is f***ing messed up, It’s like the entire country is a cult, and it’s a cult with a crap ton nukes. She makes me cry, I can hear the pain and trauma and honesty in her voice, it’s incredibly moving. What an amazing person
islam is a cult and no one says anything either?
wait she's american? -> 1to1 translate your sentence into a different, but still true version.
@@PhonkLover5588 ....all religions are culty.
Everyone has nukes.... are you dense? They are a deterrent
dougiet religions are cults
I know I say this about almost every ted talk, but this speech is one of the best and most important ones in my opinion. I’m a 24y.o. living in Russia right now and it honestly feels like my country is becoming more and more like North Korea and that really scares me. Just for the record, I consider myself a part of the “opposition” (in quote marks because there’s no really an official opposition party in Russia), but with our main leader behind the bars and the brutal state system that continuously oppresses us and dismisses our basic human rights on a daily basis I don’t believe we have (or ever had) any chances to even try to overthrow our dictatorial govt anymore. Especially when there’s propaganda everywhere and majority of people here have already succumbed into its power, which lefts a tiny percentage of young people and those who can still think for themselves a (loud but, alas, ineffective) minority.
But even with all this, I can only imagine how terrifying and hard it must’ve been for this woman to live in NK. Even with a blood-thirsty maniac as a president and really poor overall quality of life, Russia still has a long way to go to become another North Korea (thankfully). I should consider myself lucky that I at least still have internet access and some semblance of freedom of speech in this country. But even so, the inner fear that it’s steadily going into that direction is real. So I’m just gonna say, I really admire the speaker’s bravery and resistance and I only hope I could, just like her, live my life as a truly free citizen in a free country one day, be it in another one, or even, with any luck, in my own. 😌🙏🏻
haven't you considered leaving the country?
@@nicocarr2103 like where? is someone waiting for us outside Russia? is there a place where we could belong now and not be descriminated?
@@annasamson5137 fair enough. There are probably places. Tho most of the ones that come to mind aren't in Europe. The closest that come to mind are Turkey and Azerbaijan. Other than those I would just consider nations in Asia. Although my opinion might be flawed
I have the same feeling with you,I think my country is on the way to be like North Korea. 😭
Muitos não dão o valor real a liberdade. Na minha opinião a Rússia é um país que se encaminha pra ser uma nova North korea. Pense em seus descendentes. (Brasil)
When I see her as a Korean, I feel the importance of freedom and human rights again. We are grateful for the seeds of freedom sown in Korea by the US and UN.
"Nothing is forever in this world, and that is why we have every reason to be hopeful" ~Yeonmi Park
Interesting quote ;)
THERE IS NOTHING.IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD
Walang forever
I was born in 1993 in the northen part of Noth Korea, in a town called Hyesan which is on the border with China. I had loving parents and one old sister.
Before I was even 10 years old, my father was sent to a labor camp for engaging in illegal trading. Now, by “illegal trading”- he was selling clogs, sugar, rice and later copper to feed us. In 2007, my sister and I decided to escape. She was 16 years old and I was 13 years old. I need you to understand what the wordl “escape” means in the contex of Noth Korea. We were all starving and hunger in Noth Korea. So it was the only option for us. I didn’t understand the concept of escape, but I could see the lights from China at night and I wondered if I go where the light is, I might be able to find a bowl of rice. It's not like we had a grand plan or maps.We did not know anything about what was going to happen. Imagine your apartment building caught fire. I mean, what would you do? Would you stay there to be burned,or would you jump off out of the window and see what happens? That's what we did. We jumped out of the house instead of the fire.North Korea is unimaginable. It's very hard for me when people ask me what it feels like to live there. To be honest, I tell you: you can't even imagine it. The words in any language can't describe, because it's a totally different planet, as you cannot imagine your life on Mars right now. For example, the word "love" has only one meaning:love for the Dear Leader. There's no concept of romantic love in North Korea. And if you don't know the words, that means you don't understand the concept, and therefore, you don't even realize that concept is even a possibility. Let me give you another example. Growing up in North Korea, we truly believed that our Dear Leader is an almighty god who can even read my thoughts. I was even afraid to think in North Korea. We are told that he's starving for us, and he's working tirelessly for us,and my heart just broke for him. When I escaped to South Korea, people told me that he was actually a dictator, he had cars, many, many resorts,and he had an ultraluxurious life. And then I remember looking at a picture of him, realizing for the first time that he is the largest guy in the picture. And it hit me.Finally, I realized he wasn't starving. But I was never able to see that before, until someone told me that he was fat. Really, someone had to teach me that he was fat.
If you have never practiced critical thinking, then you simply see what you're told to see. The biggest question also people ask me is: "Why is there no revolution inside North Korea? Are we dumb? Why is there no revolution for 70 years of this oppression?" And I say: If you don't know you're a slave, if you don't know you're isolated or oppressed, how do you fight to be free? I mean, if you know you're isolated, that means you are not isolated. Not knowing is the true definition of isolation, and that's why I never knew I was isolated when I was in North Korea.I literally thought I was in the center of the universe. So here is my idea worth spreading:a lot of people think humans inherently know what is right and wrong,
the difference between justice and injustice, what we deserve and we don't deserve. I tell them: BS. Everything, everything must be taught, including compassion. If I see someone dying on the street right now, I will do anything to save that person. But when I was in North Korea,I saw people dying and dead on the streets. I felt nothing.Not because I'm a psychopath,but because I never learned the concept of compassion.Only, I felt compassion, empathy and sympathy in my heart after I learned the word compassion" and the concept, and I feel them now.Now I live in the United States as a free person. Thank you. And recently, the leader of the free country, our President Trump, met with my former god. And he decided human rights is not important enough to include in his agendas, and he did not talk about it. And it scares me. We live in a world right now where a dictator can be praised for executing his uncle, for killing his half brother, killing thousands of North Koreans. And that was worthy of praise. And also it made me think:perhaps we all need to be taught something new about freedom now.Freedom is fragile.
I don't want to alarm you, but it is. It only took three generations to make North Korea into George Orwell's "1984."It took only three generations. If we don't fight for human rights for the people who are oppressed right now who don't have a voice, as free people here,who will fight for us when we are not free? Machines? Animals? I don't know.I think it's wonderful that we care about climate change, animal rights, gender equality,all of these things. The fact that we care about animals' rights,that means that's how beautiful our heart is,that we care about someone who cannot speak for themselves. And North Koreans right now cannot speak for themselves.They don't have internet in the 21st century.We don't have electricity,and it is the darkest place on earth right now.Now I want to say something to my fellow North Koreans who are living in that darkness.They might not believe this,but I want to tell them that an alternative life is possible.Be free.From my experience,literally anything is possible. I was bought, I was sold as a slave.But now I'm here, and that is why I believe in miracles.The one thing that I learned from history is that nothing is forever in this world. And that is why we have every reason to be hopeful. Thank you.
Duy Phúc Nguyễn
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Duy first ueeePhúc Nguyễn
De d de gd k
Thanks for uploading the speech in written. It was very helpful
captions
You are so strong!! You are so brave! I wish you the best of luck for the rest of your life. You deserve it. ❤️❤️
Shes a spark of light for change. This woman is making her name in my great great grandchildren’s textbooks.
Teaching people that the leader can read your thoughts... now that's effective control through fear. What a nightmare. I hope someday this horror stops.
This is what the left is trying to do to Americans right now. People better smarten up or it'll happen. He who controls the information and language controls the people
@@Iburn247 that's a bit of an exaggeration but yeah I can see them trying to pull some s*** like that they're already using fear tactics to try and control and fill their pockets
That is also the reason they invented religion.
Isnt that what they do with God?
Nevermind Area 51, we all need to raid North Korea
This needs more likes
*Something Original* we’ll die lol
Preach brother!!
We need a reddit post first.
@@kingcp0878 It's simple, we need more people than they have bullets.
Thanks for this TED talk YP. Love comment on isolation and the lack of knowledge of freedom.
Gob bless. 🖖🏽🤟🏽
感動しました。伝えてくれてありがとう。
from JAPAN
Her heart is crying . I love you sister ❤️
Love from India ❤️
Hi vaishnavi
@@blackpinks5thmember954 ❤️
@@perfectlyimperfect6781 😌❤️
@@perfectlyimperfect6781 are you ARMY 💜???
so basically it's Plato's Allegory of the Cave but real
Tru dat
Terrible reality with several million people involved
That's what I was thinking, but it doesn't work because there are still plenty of people old enough to remember a time before the Kims. 😕 Surely they must have whispered of that time to their children. 🤔
@@user-vn7ce5ig1z Assuming these people haven't been caught or scared into silence, I think these whispers are what makes some people brave enough to flee.
Indeed.
I’ve been reading her book. Last night, what I read made me cry like a baby and gave me nightmares because it was so terrible. For it to affect me this way, I cannot begin to imagine how she must’ve felt or must even feel today. She’s a hero.
that speech was beautiful. it had me in tears
"If you don't know the word you don't know the concept" really interesting
There are words and concepts no human knows of yet
@@crappymeal yes. you can simply take the fact that when you learning another language, you encouter a new word, and that word doesnt exist in your own language, but you understand the word meaning. it is like that, but new, and im sure there are unnamed concepts waiting for us to name and discover.
@@crappymeal and there are words for concepts that never will be conceptualised. Try to imagine square circle.
@@VanEinzbern A square is really just a circle with a lot less sides.
Read 1984
I didn't want to see this. I knew it would make me feel uncomfortable. But I thought if she can escape NK, the least I can do is listen to her.
It was uncomfortable. But I'm glad I listened. I learned so much and got back in touch with compassion. Everyone needs to see this.
at the age of 8 I saw the Vietnamese officials came into my grandparents' house at night and took whatever they deemed "valuable and capitalistic materials" I saw my father and uncle hid our family jewelries behind the chopped woods (for cooking). I thought to myself 'why did they do that to us? are they supposed to protect us from harm and robbers?" Then I got angry every time I heard similar stories like ours. At the age of 12, I tried to escape as 'boat people' alone with other people but failed 2x. The last time I made it out to a refugee camp in Malaysia when I was 15yo. I was being indoctrinated by the communists with books and stories, movies, shows, radio broadcasts, newspaper, etc. I hated the US and thought Ho chi Minh was godlike, just like the speaker thought of the Kims family until that fateful evening. It opens my eyes and the fire started burning inside me. My uncle told me about America has liberty. Since then all I could think was to live in America which I had no idea what's like but liberty is all I wanted. I still remembered 'coming to America' was my dying wish and it was the fire inside me. I am very fortunate my family had the foresight to know that and made my dream a reality. It's not a day that I am not grateful for just waking up in America. I am grateful for cleaning water, great parks, awesome creeks that we could walk into. I am grateful for having the freedom to criticize the government officials at will. Thousands of journalists and religious leaders, environmental activists have been killed for just telling the true in Vietnam. The commies just issued a new law to jail whoever 'bad mouth' their leaders/party members. Share her story and this story to your nephews and nieces to open their eyes to the world around them. They better start educating themselves about the republic and communism to choose better. I was born in the Republic of South Vietnam, and I will die in a republic country of America. I will not tolerate any communism ideology!
sa mac This wasn't a rant about Communism, and North Korea is absolutely not Communist.
@@KienThucDoDay uh chúc mừng công dân mỹ, tự do rồi nhé, bao giờ thiếu nước thì về lại vn chơi :))
@@anhphamtung9493 ra đường có đeo khẩu trang không? Dám uống nước phongtenh không?
@@TheRealVince99 he's talking about his own experiences, not the video, what are you talking about?
My tears comes out while watching this video so heart touching
Love this woman 💔❤️🩹
Yeonmi Park is a damned right-wing anti-woke Preacher, a cold hearted snake, and a MAGA fangirl.
She was speaking with such a heavy heart, I cannot imagine
“The only fat person in North Korea”. Lmao
"little rocketman"
Btw opposite is true in USA
Oof there is no fat person now, he became a vegetative
Init😂
😆
how deep and true this: "Nothing is forever in this world" .. stay strong dear sis.
Wow, what a warning from this wise young lady. It breaks my heart 💜 to hear her stories.
This woman is unbelievably brave and smart. Her words need to be shared with more people and this video should have more views. Sending her all the love and positive energy, and to anyone who's reading this x
She has her own channel Yeonmi Park I can not STOP watching her
@@thatgardeninggirl2864 Same here. She's an intelligent, remarkable, and brave young woman.
Well she was caught lying. But yes, I hope this is still shared in the US especially with so many who now want to give away our freedoms for socialism. This could be our future.
Long time ago a teacher told me that the freedom of North Korea means literally Third World War. That the problem is not really North Korea itself, but the allied countries it has.
China 🇨🇳 wants to keep it that way.
@@guilhesas As Chinese, we don't want poverty or oppression in any country. I also know many cases that Chinese people privately helped North Koreans escape to South Korea. China has lifted 1.4 billion people out of poverty and now has the second-highest GDP in the world. Believe me, we would like to see a prosperous North Korea without hunger, both economically and spiritually. The poverty of the North Korea is not caused by China, nor their despotism by China. Because they are poor, many people starve to death every year. The Chinese have to send them a lot of food and minerals every year. So, many people in our country believe Poor North Korea is also a burden for us. The Chinese government and the North Korean government are not affiliated. In contrast, in the 1950s, 60s, their top leaders killed many people from China because they did not want any influence from China. And the nuclear tests conducted by their government in recent years have seriously affected the health of people on the Chinese border. Many of us hate their actions.
@@guilhesas you got that wrong, US wants it this way so sheeple will look at their own corrupt country and will think "oh, we are better than NK". US and world bankers created this and put a person like that in there if you could see, but people are too blind.
@@hli4297 I am sure that are thousands of kind chinese. The problem is not chinese, but the Chinese Communist Party
@@hli4297 Problem is China is actively supporting NK by sending back defectors and also encouraging trading. Chinese people may not agree with it, but it's still happening.
Beautiful yet heart-breaking. Thank you for sharing your voice, the speech was so good I could feel it.
Very proud of you Yeonmi and for the person who you are. May you be blessed with much freedom now. keep your faith.
Her experiences are very close to my own life in Iran, I feel what she's saying on a deep level and that's why I'm sobbing uncontrollably right now.
I hope you're safe and secure now. You're a brave soul. God bless and sending you loads of love from India ❤️
we have internet in Iran and we freely travel out, we have tourists to communicate with, we have compassion and think critically, we are much luckier than North Koreans:(
It's similar but Iranians aren't as isolated. They can leave the country (though it's difficult) and they have internet access (though restricted, it can be bypassed with VPN). Iranians are very aware of their situation, North Koreans aren't.
are you kidding ? are you comparing iran with north korea ? we can travel to other countries we can study we know every thing about foreigns country we have internet we are not hungry ( ofc there is some hungry and poor people but not all of us ) you can love and marry the person you love in iran you can study go to univercity its true that we have some issue I dont deny it we have our problems but for a love of god dont compare iran with north korea , north korean people have non of these things that I said and all of this its beacuse of iranian bravery not our goverment
Lavender Arj God bless u🤍I hope u gonna do it one day.🎗we love u🥺sending love from Switzerland 🦋
"now i want to tell that to my fellow North Koreans"
But reality is
SHE CAN'T.
Doesnt mean she shouldnt try, there are some who can pirate K-dramas to watch there... Never know...
One day someone there may see it and it change their lives.
Maybe not for now." We have every reason to be hopeful."
I'll come back here and feel relieved in the future .
Your a very brave lady, God bless you for your courage and tenacity. Good luck in our country.
"I was even afraid to think in North Korea."
My heart just broke and I'm sobbing. Joyfully for this woman and her sister, and angrily that our world leaders can't seem to do more for those still stuck in that Twilight Zone of a country. This woman has learned as much if not more about compassion, humanity, and freedom, in barely more than ten years, than I have in my 32 years as a United States citizen, and far more than many of us do in a whole lifetime.
But sadly there are now more commies in USA than ever. It's really scary and i'm not even from USA. We need you strong guys. At least until China becomes democratic
The problem is "out of sight out of mind". This why it's so important to listen to ppl like her. Really, really listen. This is the way to our eyes being opened. And listening...then having one's eyes opened...results in an open heart. An open heart is a magical portal away from apathy to empathy...a place where minds are open to change, ideas, & solutions.😊😘
@@antikokalis very true. at the age of 8 I saw the Vietnamese officials came into my grandparents' house at night and took whatever they deemed "valuable and capitalistic materials" I saw my father and uncle hid our family jewelries behind the chopped woods (for cooking). I thought to myself 'why did they do that to us? are they supposed to protect us from harm and robbers?" Then I got angry every time I heard similar stories like ours. At the age of 12, I tried to escape as 'boat people' alone with other people but failed 2x. The last time I made it out to a refugee camp in Malaysia when I was 15yo. I was being indoctrinated by the communists with books and stories, movies, shows, radio broadcasts, newspaper, etc. I hated the US and thought Ho chi Minh was godlike, just like the speaker thought of the Kims family until that fateful evening. It opens my eyes and the fire started burning inside me. My uncle told me about America has liberty. Since then all I could think was to live in America which I had no idea what's like but liberty is all I wanted. I still remembered 'coming to America' was my dying wish and it was the fire inside me. I am very fortunate my family had the foresight to know that and made my dream a reality. It's not a day that I am not grateful for just waking up in America. I am grateful for cleaning water, great parks, awesome creeks that we could walk into. I am grateful for having the freedom to criticize the government officials at will. Thousands of journalists and religious leaders, environmental activists have been killed for just telling the true in Vietnam. The commies just issued a new law to jail whoever 'bad mouth' their leaders/party members. Share her story and this story to your nephews and nieces to open their eyes to the world around them. They better start educating themselves about the republic and communism to choose better. I was born in the Republic of South Vietnam, and I will die in a republic country of America. I will not tolerate any communism ideology!
@@KienThucDoDay Thank you for sharing your story. I hope I'm not the only one who sees it here. I'm very happy you made it out and are able to pursue a better life. And I'm sorry that even here in the U.S. we aren't doing more to help bring actual freedom to the places that are still under tyrants and dictators, instead of simply teaching our kids to sing about freedom in school.
@@negyt7665 true. we have to talk to the young about preserving our liberty and give them information before they are indoctrinated by the school systems and mainstream media or social media
Since the beginning of this video, all I could think was "I feel like I'm reading 1984 all over again" and then she said my exact thought later...
I hope to be alive to someday see North korea be freed.
Same, I was thinking about '1984' the entire time.
When she brought up the importance of words and understanding the concept behind them, I remembered in the book, words were restricted for that very same reason.
Even in the novel people felt compassion .
What she told is BS
❤
She has gained so much confidence since 2019.
I am reading in order to live. I have read half of it to be exact. And looking at this woman I can't believe how strong she is. Everything described in the book so far is inhumane. A horrific nightmare. And writing that book must have taken many deep breaths filled with courage and tears, many tears. Yet she still wrote it. She took the time to face what happened to her to educate. She is standing in front of all these people speaking with such courage. And she makes my eyes filled with tears woven by the most complex emotions. Seeing the pictures of her is family is so hard. They make it so real and it's not in our nature to believe it is. 1984 is my favourite book. I read it this summer. In in order to live part one the story is just retold. I can't imagine how painful it must have been for her to read this book by Orwell. For she could she Winston in her father and for her the Big Brother existed. I hope her purpose in life now helps her cope with he trauma. There is nothing I can do but I hope she can find peace.
Schools closed to watch a public execution?? Damn that's messed up
They even don't have Mobile Phone, also WiFi. And the most ridiculous things is they can't contact with another country. As I know there only one hotel with WiFi in North Korea city, for those tourist to stay but need extra pay.
I mean no video games, no recreation, watching a person getting shot in the head seems to be the next most interesting thing to do right?
Tourist? Can we actually go there?
@@pussinboots9983 yes, you can search Alex Tienda in youtube. He traveled to North Korea
@@feliciawong2017 i think they've their own brand of phones , but only affordable for the rich
Story: "almighty god who can read your thoughts"
Reality: "fat and dangerous man-child"
You mean't to say fat and dangerous rocket - man
And Kim is bad too!
I pray all of NK and SK the whole world comes to Christ
Political correctness in different ways.
She’s a liar. Was thoroughly investigated in Korea. She was caught constantly contradicting her story. Her story was fabricated when the South Korean media found out she use to travel to China with her government family. She’s actually on the spy list for the kcia. Her father was also a drug smuggler. It’s a sad story of criminals playing victim.
Amen wow…crying. This is amazing.. she is so brave. So so glad I saw this. We need to learn.. love and help each other 😭😭
Brave woman. You are helping so many people. I understand more things now. Thanks so much
The deep pain is visible on her eyes clearly.
The most loving accent in english i ever heard.
This is mind boggling. An amazing message.
I ordered her book while watching this, looking forward to read it. Amazing courage!