While escaping, I carried a knife to kill myself if caught by soldiers: North Korean refugee   

NEW DELHI: Ms. Songmi Han, and Ms. Hyoshim Maeng who escaped from North Korea in 2011 and 2018 respectively risking their lives, and took refuge in South Korea have embarked on a global mission of echoing the concern of the millions of poor North Koreans who await endlessly to achieve “freedom”.

Recently, the duo along with the Freedom Speakers International (FSI) officials reached New Delhi and shared their gruesome story with the Indian audience at the India International Centre (IIC) and media at the Korean Cultural centre in India (KCCI).

Earlier too Ms. Songmi Han has delivered speeches at many global forums including at the U.S. Department of State, the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, and Harvard University representing Freedom Speakers International (FSI) before reaching New Delhi. She also co-authored a book ‘Greenlight to Freedom: A North Korean Daughter’s Search for Her Mother & Herself’.

Born in 1993 in Geum-ya gun in North Korea, about 240 kilometres from the capital city Pyongyang where she had never got the opportunity to visit during her 18 years long stay in North Korea, she escaped to South Korea in 2011 but kept her identity as a North Korean refugee hidden until 2022. She is now a college student studying social welfare in South Korea.

While interacting with media persons she broke down multiple times, while braving her tears she narrated about a life of dire hardship, domestic abuse and grueling hours of physical labour in the solitary nation North Korea. Following in her mother’s footsteps, who had escaped from North Korea in 2005, six years later Ms Songmi Han decided to take the risk and escaped the country in 2011 with the help of a broker, to reach China, Laos and then Thailand and finally to South Korea.

But the journey was gruesome as she had to brave the utter cold weather, scale mountainous, and cross icy lakes. She even had to hear the gunshot being fired when crossing the Koran border and dog snapping at her heels.

“During the escape, at times I felt like I would be shot dead by the security personnel. or caught and put to human trafficking in China or elsewhere. At one point of time, I was half deep into the Icy lake. It was a long gruesome journey which I have mentioned in detail in the 19th chapter “Escape from North Korea” in my book. While escaping, I carried a knife with me as I had decided that if I were to be caught, I would end my life, so that they couldn’t get to my family.”

Hyo-shim Maeng, another North Korean refugee too shared her story as she fled from North Korea with her parents in June 2018 in search of freedom and human rights. She also frequently addresses the plight of disabled individuals in North Korea, sharing her personal experiences as the daughter of a polio survivor who faced constant discrimination.

Casey Lartigue Jr. who accompanied the duo to New Delhi this week is an advocate and activist for educational freedom. He has gained recognition in both South Korea and the United States. Based in South Korea, he is the co-founder and chairman of Freedom Speakers International along with South Korean researcher Eunkoo Lee.

Eunkoo Lee is the co-founder and chairman of Freedom Speakers International and is an expert and advocate for North Korean human rights, North Korean refugee integration and capacity building. She is currently a PhD candidate majoring in International Relations at Ewha Womans University, South Korea.