Yeonmi is a 21-year-old North Korean defector who rose to prominence after speaking at the One Young World Summit 2014 in Dublin, Ireland. The YouTube video of her speech at the Summit now has been viewed more than 2 million times.
She is appearing at the United Nations 30th Human Rights Council meeting for North Korea. You can watch the livestream below:
Since her speech at the One Young World Summit 2014, Yeonmi has been raising awareness for the many North Korean refugees in China who are seeking freedom through her public appearances and work with human rights organisations. Yeonmi describes North Korea as “an unimaginable country” because “we aren’t free to sing, say, wear or think what we want.”
“North Korea is indescribable. No humans deserve to be oppressed just because of their birthplace,” she says.
Her harrowing and moving story has drawn international attention, with The Guardian describing her as “the human face of North Korea’s oppressed.”
Yeonmi Park will launch her book, In Order To Live, on 29 September 2015, which tells the story of her escape from North Korea.
