In this episode, T. A. Mullis speaks with Ji Hyun Park, who escaped North Korea twice and went on to rebuild her life in the United Kingdom. (Sorry for the delay, recent family bereavements have left my schedule all out of whack)

Park describes her childhood under the Kim dictatorship, the famine, and the complete control the regime holds over information and daily life. She explains her first escape to save her younger brother, her experience of human trafficking in China, and the Chinese government’s practice of returning North Korean refugees to the regime. She gives a clear account of the labour camp she was sent to after repatriation, including forced labour, hunger and the treatment of repatriated pregnant women.

She then recounts her second escape with her son, the journey through China and Mongolia, and her arrival in Britain in 2008. Park reflects on rebuilding her life, learning English, raising her family and eventually entering public life as a Conservative Party candidate. She speaks about what motivates her, the values she associates with democracy, and her concerns about rising authoritarianism.

Main topics covered include:

• Life under the Kim dictatorship and the impact of total control
• Escaping North Korea twice and surviving trafficking and imprisonment
• China’s role in returning refugees to the regime
• Rebuilding a new life in the United Kingdom with her son
• Why she entered public life and what motivates her work
• The values she associates with freedom and democracy
• Her warning about rising authoritarianism and why democracy must be protected

Ji Hyun Park’s book:
The Hard Road Out: One Woman’s Escape from North Korea
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Road-Out-Womans-North/dp/1785787079

This conversation offers a rare first-hand account of life inside a totalitarian state and what it takes to build a future in a free society.

Support the show