Park Yeon-mi

North Korean defector and human rights activist

Park Yeon-mi (4 October 1993–) is a North Korean defector and human rights activist.

Park Yeon-mi (2014)

Quotes

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  • 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.
  • The first thing my mom taught me as a young girl was not to even wisper, because the birds and mice could hear me. [...] My mom said that 'The most powerful weapon you have in your body is your tounge. Watch out what you say!' Even subconsciously you know how not to think bad things about the regime.
  • [About the United Nations:] In the name of diplomacy, they solve nothing and they keep legitimizing the Chinese government and North Korean regime, and they are part of it. Their vote means as much as [the American vote]. It shouldn't be that way. Their vote shouldn't mean nothing. [...] They are not normal regimes. They are like gangsters. They are Mafia. And the UN legitimize them. [...] They don't do anything. They do so much [more] harm than [they do] good in the world. I still don't know how more people are not realizing this.