Why I escaped from my brainwashed country | Hyeonseo Lee | TEDxKyoto
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Published 2015-12-21
Great or small, our losses stay with us, unshakeable even as we grow beyond them. Hyeonseo Lee knows about loss. A North Korean defector, Hyeonseo once thought her country the best on earth. In 1995 her beliefs and life were shattered as the truths of famine, death and brutality crashed upon her. Her survival depended on her ability to escape North Korea to restart her life, but at a high price̶the loss of her family, home and country. Since escaping North Korea, Hyeonseo has risen to be a powerful voice for human rights, speaking in front of the UN Security Council and sharing her story and the plight of North Korean refugees across the world through speaking engagements and written articles featured in major newspapers, magazines and journals. By opening her own life and losses to the world, Hyeonseo Lee has helped illuminate a human rights tragedy that has for too long rested in the shadows, and along the way, has transformed loss into the promise of hope.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx
All Comments (21)
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"we found safety in our ignorance"
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I'm South Korean and I hope that one day the Korea's will unite and everything will just be Korea
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"The birds hear you by day, and the mice hear you at night." That's both beautiful and terrifying.
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I was reading her book "The girl with seven names" in school, when my English teacher came over, picked it up, read the blurb and put it down again. The next day, in front of the whole school, she displayed her photo along with Malala's and said "These are two, extremely inspirational women."
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I just hope the friendly border guards are not in trouble now. I worry about them seriously.
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one year ago i read her book, and its so strange to hear her voice, to see her speak and realize everything she wrote is real, not just a story in a book, i obviously knew i was reading facts, but its so unbelievable to me that in 2016 this is still a reality
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This made me realize how lucky I am, I may not live in a great place but at least I live free.
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Suddenly, my life doesn't look so bad...What a brave lady.
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she may look like a normal pretty lady just like others but her eyes are so calm, so cold. I can't imagine how she could face with all those tragedies and stand up right there to tell the world the truth. What a beautiful, brave, strong woman.
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This woman's pain is so deep. It's hard to attempt to quantify that pain. Americans can listen to her, but cannot really imagine what dictatorship means.
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"Even if you want to wake up from your Orwellian nightmare, you intentionally put yourself back to sleep."
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"The deadly mix of ignorance and fear" .What an eloquent and brave young woman!
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Her English is practically flawless considering that she started from zero so to speak.
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This video needs more views
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Hyeonseo Lee is a remarkable person. she seems relaxed, despite the horror that she had to experience. I was deeply touched by her speech
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After this video, I realized that I'm actually blessed in the country I live in. The most incredible thing is that this one girl is capable of taking down the sick regime of North Korea: She wrote a book and published it: The Girl with Seven Names (3,062 Amazon customer reviews) She did a live Tedx Talk And had millions watch her story on YouTube One girl can free her whole country... if we all stand beside her!
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What an unbelievably gorgeous woman...God bless that soldier who helped her escape. Pity for those millions stuck inside the pathetic country. Hope someday the crazy fog lifts and freedom spreads in their country. I pray for them.
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I'm not Korean. I'm not a Korea fanatic. But something in my soul burns for North Korea and it's sufferers. Something puts them very close to my heart and it breaks for them. Forgive us North Koreans for not being able to stop your nightmare.
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I pray every day that one day I will go to love and serve these precious people in N Korea. I am a Romanian 🇷🇴 married to a South Korean and leaving in India 🇮🇳. From the first day of marriage we shared the same dream for N Korea.
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I read her book, the hardships that she had to go through, the bravery she showed, the strength she has is amazing and inspiring. A truly wonderful woman, you have to read her book: "girl with seven names"
