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290:, Laos, where she paid a bribe and fine. After a month of ordeals her family members were released. She traveled with them to Vientiane, where her family members were arrested and jailed again, "just a short distance from the South Korean embassy." Lee went back and forth between the immigration office and the National Police Agency for almost 50 days, "desperately trying to get my family out ā¦ but I didn't have enough money to pay the bribes. I lost all hope."
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other North
Koreans to get out of jail." When she asked, "Why are you helping me?" he replied, "I'm not helping youā¦ I'm helping the North Korean people." Lee described this as "a symbolic moment in my life," with the man serving as a symbol of "new hope for me and other North Koreansā¦ He showed me that the kindness of strangers and the support of the international community are truly the rays of hope that the North Korean people need."
243:. She "was quickly ushered into another room," where officials inspected her papers, asked her if she was actually Chinese, and "informed me that I would be incarcerated for an unspecified period of time and then deported back to China if I violated Korean law. Moreover, if the Chinese government learned that I was not actually a Chinese citizen, I would be jailed, heavily fined, and then deported again: back to North Korea."
55:
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She was doing volunteer work "out of gratitude for all the aid received since came here and of hope to return the favor to other people in need." As of May 2014, Lee was still studying at the Hankuk
University of Foreign Studies and working as a student journalist with the Ministry of Unification.
274:
She then guided them on a 2000-mile trip through China, during which they "were almost caught several times." At one point, when they were stopped and interrogated by a police officer, Lee told him that her family, who could not understand
Chinese, were deaf and mute people that she was chaperoning.
222:
alone in collusion with a friendly border guard to fulfill a dream she had, only planning to stay a short while before returning. However, due to complications with the North Korean security police, she had to live with relatives in China as an illegal immigrant. She managed to buy the identity of a
306:
In 2011, Lee wrote that she was learning
English "to boost prospects," noting that North Koreans' "lack of English is a handicap" on the job market. In China, she had devoted a great deal of time to learn Chinese, but "never thought I would be under this much stress about language in South Korea."
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TV program on which she was reunited with the stranger who had helped her in
Vientiane in 2009, Australian Dick Stolp. "I was really happy," said Lee. "He says, 'I'm not a hero,' but I say he is a modern hero." Stolp said: "You help a small hand and it reaches to other hands and you think, 'That's
270:
Lee received word that North Korean police had intercepted money she had sent to her family through a broker and that her mother and brother were "going to be forcibly removed to a desolate location in the countryside." Lee agonized for a while and decided to go back for them, knowing that neither
322:
as a student journalist alongside South Korean college students. articles about the relationship between North and South Korea as well as the possibility for reunification." In addition, she was one of "50 college students who had escaped from North Korea for the 'English for the Future' program
227:, and with it, obtained a passport and driver's license. At one point, after being accused of being North Korean, she was interrogated by police and tested on her Chinese and her knowledge of China. Because of her father's insistence she learn Chinese from her childhood days, she passed the test.
293:
To her luck, an
English-speaking stranger ā identified in her autobiography as an affable Australian named Dick Stolp ā asked her: "What's wrong?" She explained, in her broken English, with the use of a dictionary, and "the man went to the ATM and paid the rest of the money for my family and two
257:
She was put through an orientation course for life in South Korea, and then given a house to live in. She "started out with mixed feelings of fear and excitement, but settling down turned out to be far more challenging than I had expected. I realized there was a wide gap between North and South,
200:
in
February 2013. "I grew up singing a song called 'Nothing to Envy'. I felt very proud. I thought my life in North Korea was normal, even though when I was seven years old, I saw my first public execution." Her family was not poor, but after the
297:
She later said that this encounter marked the moment "when my view of the world changed and I realized there were many good people on this planet. I also realized how precious life is." Soon she and her family were living in South Korea.
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She endured anti-North Korean prejudice and sometimes thought "It would be so much easier to return to China." After "a year of confusion and disorder," however, she "finally managed to find meaning in new life."
258:
ranging from educational background to cultural and linguistic differences. We are a racially homogeneous people on the outside, but inside we have become very different as a result of the 67 years of division."
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great, that's good stuff.'ā¦I'm meeting someone who is now doing good things, and inside I can't help but feel 'Hey! I helped this lady to go out and change her life.'" She has been interviewed by the
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of
Foreign Studies (by special admission). chose the language as major hoping that would be able to take part in ever increasing trade with China."
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classes at different institutes and obtained the certifications needed for work." In 2011, she was "admitted to the
Chinese language department of the
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could speak or understand
Chinese. She returned to China, met her family in Changbai, as her brother helped her mother over the border into China.
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border, Lee met a broker and paid him to take her mother and brother across and to the South Korean Embassy in
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in January 2008, she entered the immigration office and declared her identity as a North Korean
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After 10 years of being a fugitive in China, Lee managed to escape to South Korea. Arriving at
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343:, in February 2013. The YouTube video of her talk has received over 21 million views.
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430:"North Korean Defector Hopes To See Loved Ones Again ā But Remains Skeptical"
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International Coalition to Stop Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea
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struck in the 1990s, she witnessed much suffering and death.
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List of fact-finding reports on human rights in North Korea
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Deportation of North Koreans by the South Korean government
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Embassy in Seoul, which helps keep up English studies."
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Lee spoke about her experiences at a TED conference in
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Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights
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318:She noted that she was "working at South Korea's
667:"Beyond Utopia | North Korea Escape Documentary"
275:He accepted the story and let them pass. At the
459:"Freedom, Sanctions and North Korean Ice Cream"
157:, born January 1980), best known for her book,
1463:NorthāSouth differences in the Korean language
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1278:North Korean People's Liberation Front
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622:from the original on February 16, 2015
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59:Hyeonseo Lee at the TED2013 conference
1438:Balloon propaganda campaigns in Korea
1407:North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004
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557:from the original on October 15, 2017
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513:from the original on August 22, 2017
119:Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
1509:North Korean human rights activists
547:"A Defector's Tale: Lee Hyeon-seo"
469:from the original on 10 April 2018
27:North Korean defector and activist
25:
1397:North KoreaāSouth Korea relations
428:Kelly, Mary Louise (2018-05-01).
545:Gale, Alastair (July 11, 2011).
501:Lee, Hyeonseo (April 14, 2013).
346:In May 2013, Lee appeared on an
218:In 1997, Lee crossed the frozen
1268:Fighters for a Free North Korea
440:from the original on 2018-08-19
307:She worked part-time and "took
610:Ha, Thu-Huong (May 20, 2013).
589:. May 12, 2014. Archived from
580:"Oslo Freedom Forum: Speakers"
223:mentally challenged girl from
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1376:Reconnaissance General Bureau
248:National Intelligence Service
237:Incheon International Airport
1514:North Korean women activists
1412:South Korean nationality law
1402:North Korean Defectors' Day
1366:Human rights in North Korea
1173:North Korea Strategy Center
246:She asked them to call the
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1361:Hamhung concentration camp
1263:Donkey Squads (Korean War)
377:about South Korean pastor
168:and activist who lives in
138:Defection from North Korea
29:
1448:Korean Demilitarized Zone
405:The Girl with Seven Names
192:Lee Hyeon-seo grew up in
188:Early life in North Korea
159:The Girl with Seven Names
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1443:ChinaāNorth Korea border
503:"Why I fled North Korea"
1220:Ministry of Unification
407:. UK: William Collins.
320:Ministry of Unification
1504:North Korean defectors
1204:Liberty in North Korea
748:North Korean defectors
403:Lee, Hyeonseo (2014).
341:Long Beach, California
1433:Anti-Korean sentiment
1354:North Korean response
1242:Heavenly Dream School
1232:Hangyeore High School
286:She then traveled to
130:Human Rights Activist
34:, the family name is
1283:White Shirts Society
587:OsloFreedomForum.com
1458:North Korean famine
1007:Authors and artists
781:Former Soviet Union
649:Premium-Speakers.hk
551:Wall Street Journal
203:North Korean famine
1519:People from Hyesan
1335:Norbert Vollertsen
1298:(Non-North Korean)
817:Former politicians
368:Oslo Freedom Forum
88:Ryanggang Province
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366:She spoke at the
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313:Hankuk University
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645:"Hyeonseo Lee"
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1111:Kyong Won-ha
1070:Li Gyong-hui
983:Phillip Buck
972:
937:Zhu Xianjian
932:Son Jong-nam
907:Kim Hyon-hui
902:Joo Seong-ha
873:Former spies
864:Thae Yong-ho
859:Ryu Hyun-woo
849:Pak Sung-won
769:Abai Village
756:Destinations
703:Hyeonseo Lee
674:. Retrieved
670:
661:
653:the original
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591:the original
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102:North Korean
72:January 1980
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18:Hyeonseo Lee
1494:1980 births
1468:Tumen River
1345:Robert Park
1325:Kenneth Bae
1315:Hannah Song
1305:Adrian Hong
1273:Free Joseon
1116:Ri Jong-yol
1106:Jihyun Park
1049:Yi Han-yong
1034:Lee Soon-ok
1019:Jaehoon Ahn
993:Yeonmi Park
958:Ji Seong-ho
917:Lee Sang-jo
912:Kim Shin-jo
892:Jeong Su-il
887:Jang Gil-su
875:or soldiers
854:Ryu Mi-yong
791:Philippines
764:South Korea
379:Kim Sungeun
231:South Korea
174:South Korea
151::
110:South Korea
107:Citizenship
99:Nationality
92:North Korea
32:Korean name
1488:Categories
1473:Yalu River
1192:Escape aid
1183:Rimjingang
1121:MoFa Seven
1075:Mun Ki-nam
968:Lee Ae-ran
922:No Kum-sok
844:Oh Kil-nam
676:2024-01-10
444:2018-08-19
385:References
348:Australian
309:accounting
220:Yalu River
69:Kim Ji-hae
1296:Activists
946:Activists
810:Defectors
561:August 4,
281:Vientiane
1330:Mike Kim
1256:Militant
1237:HanVoice
1199:Durihana
1141:Advocacy
1058:Athletes
796:Thailand
626:June 28,
620:Archived
616:TED Blog
555:Archived
517:June 28,
511:Archived
473:24 April
467:Archived
438:Archived
361:CBS News
198:TED talk
166:defector
30:In this
1247:Saejowi
1225:Hanawon
1014:An Hyuk
434:NPR.org
325:British
161:, is a
76:1980-01
74: (
1385:Policy
411:
209:Escape
194:Hyesan
149:Korean
128:Author
84:Hyesan
1089:Other
776:China
594:(PDF)
583:(PDF)
252:Seoul
214:China
178:China
170:Seoul
628:2014
563:2017
519:2014
475:2018
463:Time
409:ISBN
182:Laos
180:and
65:Born
707:TED
705:at
507:CNN
357:CNN
353:BBC
277:Lao
154:ģ“ķģ
37:Lee
1490::
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