Yeonmi Park

Yeonmi ParkJuddweiss [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]About 25 million people live in North Korea and will never have the opportunity to leave this controlling and abrasive country. However a young girl named Yeonmi Park is one of the very few that can say she has escaped North Korea; one of the most terrifying counties in the world. Yeonmi Park was born and raised in North Korea. In the 1990’s during the country’s economic collapse and when Yeonmi’s father was sent to labor camp after being caught smuggling cigarettes, her family was left to die. That's when her sister decided to escape to China. Yeonmi and her mother followed a few years later with the help of smugglers. However when they arrived in China they became victims of human trafficking and once again decided to escape through the Mongolian desert which led to being deported to South Korea where they were accepted as refugees. Today she uses her story to inspire many and help other victims having escaped North Korea, find a safe environment to live in. Yeonmi shows her strength within herself and is willing to do whatever it takes in order to be free. Yeonmi Park is a young woman who escaped North Korea and is a deserving hero because she is not afraid of the obstacles in her way, overcomes sexual harassment with resilience and bravery, and tells her story today to empower those around her.

Yeonmi is considered a  young woman with no fear and willing to do whatever it takes to survive. This may include risking both her and her mother’s life. As the conditions in North Korea grew worse and Yeonmi knew she would not survive much longer, her and her mother finally made the decision to cross the border: “And so, on the night of March  30, 2007, Yeonmi and her mother made their way towards the border with the help of people smuggler. Yeonmi’s father stayed behind to minimize the risks. They crossed three mountains and finally came to a frozen river that separates the two countries” (Phillips). At the age of 13 Yeonmi was able to escape one of the most secluded countries in the world. While being surrounded by cold mountains, a frozen river, and guards ready to shoot at any moment, Yeonmi found her inner strength and kept moving towards freedom knowing that once she has crossed the border, she would no longer be kept away from the rest of the world. Only a handful of people can say they have escaped North Korea and millions are fearful of what the journey across the border may intend. Leaving North Korea was not the only challenge Yeonmi had to overcome. In order leave China, to prevent the Chinese police finding them and deporting her and her mother back to North Korea,Yeonmi and her mother walked on foot through the treacherous Gobi Desert in search for somewhere peaceful to live. Yeonmi explains, “As the hours went on, it got colder and colder, and I started doubting that any of us would make it. I thought about dying out here in the desert. Would anyone find my bones or mark my grave? Or would I be lost and forgotten, as if I had never existed? To realize I was completely alone in this world was the scariest thing I’ve felt in my life, and the saddest” (Maloney). When Yeonmi and her mother were deciding on whether they should escape through the desert in fear that they wouldn’t make it through the freezing nights that the desert had to offer, Yeonmi overcame the fear and knew that crossing the desert was the only way to leave China without being caught. Through her starvation and fear, Yeonmi still kept walking, still kept fighting, and still kept chasing after her goal of freedom. Although she doubted on whether she would survive much longer, she continued to walk and was able to find as much strength within her as possible. Unlike others who would naturally give up, Yeonmi stuck with her mother and found her inner bravery to continue to fight. Yeonmi is fearless when it comes conquering the impossible. She is one of the few who can say she has survived days of freezing temperature and starvation in order to be a free women while most of us are given the freedom that our country has to offer. But crossing the Gobi Desert and North Korean borders was the the only problems Yeonmi had to face.

Once Yeonmi crossed the Yalu River, she was faced with smugglers who used her innocence in order to please themselves. However she and her mother were able to escape the situation through bravery and resilience and continue their journey to freedom. After crossing the river, the smugglers who helped them escape instantly took them back to their apartment to be sold. Yeonmi and her mother were clueless of the situation they were led into and had no idea what type of pain was to come. Both she and her mother were faced with filthy men willing to pay a high price to sexually harrass and abuse them. Yeonmi knew she had to fight back: “This time he gave Young Sun a lot of alcohol until she was passed out drunk, and then he came to my bedroom in the middle of the night. Again I fought him off by kicking and screaming and biting. I thought the only way to save myself was to act like a crazy person. I was so wild that he knew he would have to damage me badly or even kill me to finish what he started. And then I would have no value. So he gave up” (Park 139). Being a young 13 year old girl willing to fight off a man in his mid forties takes a lot of determination. Yeonmi shows that she is not afraid of how powerful a man might be. She also doesn’t allow these hard times to overcome her main purpose which is to be free. Most women in this situation would fear the man’s capability and allow him to take advantage of them. But unlike most women Yeonmi takes control and fights back until the man finally gives up. Her dream of being free brings out her inner bravery to fight back against anyone who stands in her way. Once Yeonmi and her mother finally knew that it was time to escape from the hands of the filthy men who had raped them multiple times, Yeonmi felt guilty saying goodbye. Although Hongwei (the man who raped her) abused and hurt her, she knew that deep inside he had love for her too: “I had such complicated feelings for this man. I had hated him for so long and I didn’t think I could ever forgive him, but my heart was not so hard anymore. He was not all bad. And he had been a miracle for me, really. He had brought my mother back, brought my father to China, and helped me bury him there. I know he had tried hard to find my sister, too”(Park 180). When Yeonmi and her mother knew it was their chance to escape, Yeonmi was filled with mixed emotions. Even though Hongwei was so cruel to Yeonmi she knew that he loved her as well. Honwei knew the pain that he had caused her and tried to erase the mistakes by helping her family but deep down she knew what type of man he truly was. Leaving a man who had so much power over Yeonmi took confidence and bravery in herself knowing that if he were to find her, he would take her back to North Korea where she would be killed. Although she is thankful for his loving support in helping her find her family, she will never forget the trauma that he put her through. Yeonmi’s escape from the abuse and torture she found in China shows how she is capable of defending herself against anyone and shows her bravery to fight for both her and her mom.

Yeonmi ParkTore Sætre [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Today, Yeonmi uses her story not only to inspire millions of people, but to show what life is really like in North Korea.Yeonmi’s story impacts the world around her and is devoting her life to help others: “ Park has survived brainwashing in North Korea and sexual assault in China, and she has since gone on to devote her life to victims of human trafficking. She also speaks frequently about her experiences, volunteering for the Freedom Factory Corporation and the Liberty in North Korea. She is a volunteer for Now, Action, Unity and Human Rights and volunteer Ambassador of Teach North Korean Refugees program” (“Yeonmi Park”). After surviving a type of torture and struggle that most people will never face in their life, she dedicates her time to help those that are struggling through that same journey. Her willingness to help others shows her true dedication in helping everyone be free. Although we take freedom as a given in life, thousands of people like Yeonmi fight for years in order to be free. Thanks to Yeonmi and courage to help others, more and more people can have the same freedom that we have. Yeonmi has also written books and articles to share her life story in hopes that it will help the world open their eyes to the pain and suffering that goes on inside the North Korean borders: “Since immigrating to America, Yeon-Mi has written several articles about her life and experiences for the Washington Post. She has also been interviewed by the British newspaper, the Guardian. Over the years, she has also become increasingly vocal as a human rights activist. On a regular basis, she volunteers for the Freedom Factory Corporation (a free-market think tank in South Korea), and has become an active member of LINK (Liberty in North Korea), a non-profit that rescues North Korean refugees hiding in China and resettles them in South Korea or the United States” (Jones). Most victims who have escaped from North Korea live in fear and are never willing to tell their story. But for Yeonmi Park, she tells her story every day and uses her life to show the world what hides inside the walls of North Korea.  She welcomes refugees that have escaped North Korea and helps them find a safe place to live their lives. She uses her voice to fight for the voiceless who live in North Korea and helps millions of people realize what life is really like under the power of Kim Jong-un. Her open arms to help other people has given the world new hope that North Korea will one day change. Yeonmi continues to help as many desperate people as possible in dreams of making a change in the world. Her voice illustrates her dedication in helping others find the freedom that she has and helping the outside world see the horrors that lie in North Korea.

Yeonmi Park is a unique hero who defeats many obstacles without fear, finds bravery within herself to conquer sexual harassment, and uses her story to touch the lives of millions. Yeonmi’s bravery to escape North Korea and cross the Yalu River with armed guards shows watching every movement shows what she is capable of and the confidence she has in herself. Even after leaving North Korea and gaining freedom, she fears the possibility of men ready to rape her at any moment. Her resilience and bravery to fight back against these men and continue to find freedom shows her strength. Not only has she saved herself, but she saved hundreds more who have escaped North Korea as she helped them to find their freedom. Yeonmi Park is a strong and courageous woman who shows the world that anyone can overcome any barrier that stands in their way. She helps the world realize the true pain and sorrow that the North Koreans experience. Yeonmi Park has shown the world what you are capable of once you find the confidence within yourself. She is a loving, fearless, and compassionate person who has used her voice to inspire the world and will continue to do so for many years.

Works Cited

Jones, Robert. “YEON-MI PARK - KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST.” Infinite Fire, 5 Oct. 2017, infinitefire.org/info/yeon-mi-park-korean-human-rights-activist/

Maloney, Alli. “Five Surprising Facts about North Korean Defector Yeonmi Park.” Women in the World, 1 Oct. 2015, womenintheworld.com/2015/10/01/five-facts-about-north-korean-defector-yeonmi-park/.

Park, Yeonmi, and Maryanne Vollers. In Order to Live: a North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom. Fig Tree, 2016.          

Phillips, Tom. “Escape from North Korea: 'How I Escaped Horrors of Life under Kim Jong-Il'.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 11 Nov. 2014, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11138496/Escape-from-North-Korea-How-I-escaped-horrors-of-life-under-Kim-Jong-il.html.

"Yeonmi Park." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2016. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000320684/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=5593077e. Accessed 9 May 2018.