OREM — Yeonmi Park, a 30-year-old human rights activist, shared her harrowing journey from North Korea to the United States with a captivated audience of 400 at Utah Valley University on Wednesday evening. She emphasized the importance of cherishing freedom, a privilege she believes many Americans take for granted.
As a child in Hyesan, a town just a mile away from the Chinese border, Park would gaze at the distant lights in the neighboring Chinese town, wondering why they had the luxury of electricity when her own town was shrouded in darkness. “Perhaps if I could reach those lights, I could have a bowl of rice,” she mused to her audience at UVU. Her initial quest for freedom was not driven by lofty ideals, but by the simple desire for a bowl of rice.
In a conversation with the Deseret News, Park revealed how North Korea’s first leader, Kim Il-Sung, manipulated the people into worshipping him. “He fashioned himself as a god, even going as far as to claim that he was bestowing his son, Kim Jung Il, upon the people,” she said.
In her memoir, “In Order to Live,” Park recounts her mother’s cautionary advice to always guard her words, as even the birds and mice could be listening. This was a reflection of the oppressive regime that forbade any negative thoughts about their leaders.
Park drew parallels between religion and democracy. She noted that before the Korean War, Pyeongyang was referred to as the Jerusalem of the East. However, today, North Korea is the most challenging place to practice Christianity. “For a communist state like North Korea to thrive, the state must be worshipped, not God,” she explained.
She also shared her personal journey to Christianity, which began when she became a mother in 2018. “There’s no need for words or rationality, you just feel the presence of God,” she said.
‘In South Korea, you can wear jeans’
At the UVU event, Park narrated her escape from North Korea, which was triggered by an unnecessary appendectomy. She said, “In North Korea, people don’t die from cancer, they die from infection.”
After her older sister’s sudden escape, Park and her parents decided to follow suit. However, their journey to freedom was fraught with danger and deception. They were trafficked into the sex industry by a woman who claimed to be helping them.
Two years later, Park and her mother were rescued by South Korean Christians. They were guided across the Gobi Desert into Mongolia, and eventually made it to South Korea. “Freedom was responsibility,” Park said, reflecting on her new life in South Korea.
Park’s warning against socialism
The UVU event was sponsored by the Young America’s Foundation. Park expressed her concern about the socialist ideologies she encountered at Columbia University, comparing them to the doctrines she was taught in North Korea.
She criticized her professors for promoting socialism from the comfort of their air-conditioned rooms, while she had experienced its harsh realities firsthand in North Korea. “Socialism promises equality of outcomes,” Park said, drawing a comparison with North Korea’s 51 different social classes.
She recounted conversations with her friends in New York City who were ardent supporters of socialism. They argued that capitalism was evil because it created inequality. However, Park disagreed, stating, “Inequality is not a sign of oppression, it’s a sign of progress.”
Yeonmi’s incredible journey is a testament to the power of resilience and the pursuit of freedom. Her story serves as a reminder that even in the darkest times, hope and faith can prevail.
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