Yeonmi Park
Yeonmi Park Captivated the Audience with her Remarkable Story of Survival Trekking Through the Gobi Desert.
She was born in North Korea in 1993 in the city of Hyesan in Ryanggang in North Korea. Her father was a prominent businessman but was later arrested for allegedly trading in forbidden items. Her father was sent to a prison camp and, while there, contracted colon cancer. Fearing that his time was short, Mr. Park arranged for his release and he and his family fled to China, where he believed they would be safe.
Her father died during their journey to South Korea by way of Mongolia, buried in the hills in an unmarked grave. The Parks, mother and daughter, continued to Seoul where they were finally reunited with her older sister. Today, she continues her fight against oppression and human rights violations across the globe with her work as an activist and spokesperson. Her stated goal is to begin the dialogue she believes will be necessary between South Korea and the people of North Korea to work together for unification.
Yeonmi Park Took a Long and Difficult Journey to Escape North Korea. Now She's a Celebrity in Seoul Speaking Out Against the Kim Dynasty's Regime.
She witnessed many violations of human rights in North Korea and during her flight to South Korea by way of China. However, few stood out in her mind more than the regularity with which she saw young women and girls raped, tortured and sold into sex slavery. As a woman herself, she was continually horrified by the casualness she witnessed when young girls were sold for $200 into the sex slave trade in China.
Furthermore, her own mother was brutally assaulted in front of her during their flight to South Korea by the very man who was supposed to conduct them to safety. Threatening to report her and her mother, the man took advantage of the situation to rape Yeon-Mi's mother in front of her. This experience led her to have a deep and abiding sympathy for women and girls everywhere who are the victims of human trafficking and sexual abuse.
