Park Yeon-mi

English is my third language.

— Park Yeon-mi

I did everything I can to be free and escaped.

— Park Yeon-mi

The North Korean government are out to get me.

— Park Yeon-mi

Risking your life is not an easy thing to do.

— Park Yeon-mi

If I keep silent, I am betraying my people.

— Park Yeon-mi

I just never learned to think critically.

— Park Yeon-mi

I wanted to show North Korean people that they have hope, and they can be free someday, like myself.

— Park Yeon-mi

North Korea is an unimaginable country. We aren't free to sing, say, wear or think what we want.

— Park Yeon-mi

I didn't know people can be good. I didn't know people are designed to be good and help one another.

— Park Yeon-mi

My mum was sold for $65 and I was sold for $260 - at the age of 13.

— Park Yeon-mi

Because I have seen oppression, I know what it looks like.

— Park Yeon-mi

I never used a translator, never thought that the journalists might not understand.

— Park Yeon-mi

For a long time, I lost faith in humanity, especially men.

— Park Yeon-mi

I learnt about the universe. I learnt about human rights and human dignity - this was so new to me.

— Park Yeon-mi

North Korea is a religion. We are told that Kim is a god and that he knows what you are thinking and…

— Park Yeon-mi

North Korea was pretty insane. Like the first thing my mom taught me was don't even whisper, the birds and mice could…

— Park Yeon-mi

I was living in the border area with China, in Hyesan City. But after my father was imprisoned for informal trading, I…

— Park Yeon-mi

I couldn't imagine that I'd ever see men as normal people and I could never trust them. I couldn't bear any human…

— Park Yeon-mi

I thought North Koreans were the only people who hated Americans, but turns out there are a lot of people hating this…

— Park Yeon-mi

Reading 'Animal Farm' set me free from the dictatorship in my head. I could see all the tactics used by the regime…

— Park Yeon-mi

I have visited slums in Mumbai, I have visited slums in other countries, but nothing is like North Korea because North Korean…

— Park Yeon-mi

If there is no word that means you don't have the concept. In North Korea they eliminate the words: depression, stress, dictatorship,…

— Park Yeon-mi

People would ask me about my hobbies and what I liked. I had never been asked those questions because what I thought…

— Park Yeon-mi

Before Kim Jong Il died, it wasn't like one day Kim Jong Un took over. Kim Jong Il made sure his son…

— Park Yeon-mi

South Koreans often don't think of North Korean defectors as Korean. While we have been granted citizenship, the locals don't consider us…

— Park Yeon-mi

In North Korea, we never learned to think critically. There is no concept of individualism. The government treated us as less valuable…

— Park Yeon-mi

My detective just told me, 'Seriously, you are in danger and you have to change all your information.' But I said no…

— Park Yeon-mi

North Korea spends billions of dollars to make this nuke test system. If they would spend just 20 percent of what they…

— Park Yeon-mi

When I was invited to return to the 2015 One Young World summit in Bangkok, I knew that I had to make…

— Park Yeon-mi

What you need to know about North Korea is that it's not like other countries like Iran or Cuba. In those countries,…

— Park Yeon-mi

The media's censorship is unthinkable... If we don't stop, we are going to end up like North Koreans.

— Park Yeon-mi

I mean I could not trust men again. I hated men. I hated humanity. How on earth can people sell each other?

— Park Yeon-mi

I do want to go home. That's my dream. North Korea is still my home.

— Park Yeon-mi

We don't have friends in North Korea. We only have comrades. There's no concept of friends.

— Park Yeon-mi

North Korea cannot change because its people don't realize that there is an alternative to their suffering.

— Park Yeon-mi

In North Korea, people who are actually oppressed don't even know they're oppressed.

— Park Yeon-mi

I'll live longer than Kim Jong-un - he's fatter than me. He doesn't like me.

— Park Yeon-mi

The oppression is like nothing imaginable - I literally believed that Kim Jong-il could read my mind.

— Park Yeon-mi

I don't think I will ever understand what freedom means, but I am enjoying learning.

— Park Yeon-mi

Why would North Korea people care if they have nukes or not? All they want is food. They want freedom.

— Park Yeon-mi