--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This was the first time I had ever known…" description: "\"“This was the first time I had ever known that North Korea has gay people. I am embarrassed to admit that I had thought of homosexuality purely as a fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/hyeonseo-lee-20795_first-time_this-was-the-first-time-i-had-ever-known_180177.jpg" --- # This was the first time I had ever known that North Korea… ![“This was the first time I had ever known that North Korea has gay people. I am embarrassed to admit that I had thought of homosexuality purely as a foreign phenomenon, or a plotline in TV dramas. One woman in the room told me that homosexuals in North Korea are sent to labour camps, that they…” quote by Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/hyeonseo-lee-20795_first-time_this-was-the-first-time-i-had-ever-known_180177.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/hyeonseo-lee-20795_first-time_this-was-the-first-time-i-had-ever-known_180177.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/hyeonseo-lee-20795_first-time_this-was-the-first-time-i-had-ever-known_180177.jpg) > ““This was the first time I had ever known that North Korea has gay people. I am embarrassed to admit that I had thought of homosexuality purely as a foreign phenomenon, or a plotline in TV dramas. One woman in the room told me that homosexuals in North Korea are sent to labour camps, that they suffer alone and cannot even confide in their families. I had not known this either. In fact, this was the first of many things I was to learn about my country.”” [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discovering hidden realities challenges assumptions and reveals systemic oppression. **In simple terms:** Learning about hidden truths changes our view. Key Takeaway Question stereotypes and seek deeper truths. Themes human rights stigma truth awareness politics Mood empathetic concerned Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - humanitarian work - policy advocacy - personal reflection Key Concepts LGBTQ oppression authoritarian regimes social invisibility Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions do you hold about marginalized groups? - How can you support those facing oppression? A Different Perspective Understanding a single case may not capture the full scope of the issue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gay people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-people/) [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [North korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korea/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [From a religious point of view, if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/from-a-religious-point-of-view-if-god-had-thought-homosexuality-is-a/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [When I met Jo Wilder, I fell crazy in love and never thought about homosexuality. And I thought, 'Well, this is what I'm supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-grey/when-i-met-jo-wilder-i-fell-crazy-in-love-and-never-thought-about/) [Joel Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-grey/) > [“One of the main reasons that distinctions between oppressor and victim are blurred in North Korea is that no one there has any concept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/one-of-the-main-reasons-that-distinctions-between-oppressor-and/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [When I was young, there were bars called the 'Hungry Hole,' and in those same neighbourhoods are now gay people pushing baby carriages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/when-i-was-young-there-were-bars-called-the-hungry-hole-and-in-those/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [I don't understand why gay people are so anxious to get married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-margolyes/i-don-t-understand-why-gay-people-are-so-anxious-to-get-married/) [Miriam Margolyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-margolyes/) > [“sometimes I think homosexuality is wasted on gay people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-halerin/sometimes-i-think-homosexuality-is-wasted-on-gay-people/) David Halerin > [I think fundamentally, the real power behind the anti-choice movement in regard to abortion and the opposition to the rights of LGBT Americans is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-w-lynn/i-think-fundamentally-the-real-power-behind-the-anti-choice-movement/) [Barry W. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-w-lynn/) > [Marriage is a civil right. If you don't want gay people to marry in your church, good for you. But you can't say they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-bond/marriage-is-a-civil-right-if-you-don-t-want-gay-people-to-marry-in/) [Julian Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-bond/) > [I want to do something that is not just a pastiche of drag that's come before but is really authentically me. I try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-velour/i-want-to-do-something-that-is-not-just-a-pastiche-of-drag-that-s/) [Sasha Velour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-velour/) > [The thing about gay people is that until we come out of the closet, we're always protecting other people: 'I can't do this, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/the-thing-about-gay-people-is-that-until-we-come-out-of-the-closet-we/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [I didn't have any role models. I really thought I was doomed to this loveless, lonely life. I didn't know any gay people until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-batt/i-didn-t-have-any-role-models-i-really-thought-i-was-doomed-to-this/) [Bryan Batt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-batt/) > [“Now, in the old days, Indians used to be forgiving of any kind of eccentricity. In fact, weird people were often celebrated. Epileptics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/now-in-the-old-days-indians-used-to-be-forgiving-of-any-kind-of/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Any home where there is love constitutes a family and all families should have the same legal rights, including the right to marry and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/any-home-where-there-is-love-constitutes-a-family-and-all-families/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things - he never said that gay people should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/jesus-never-said-a-word-about-homosexuality-in-all-of-his-teachings/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) ## More by Hyeonseo Lee > [“The strength of my parents’ feelings for each other, however, was a worry to my grandmother. She warned them that if a couple loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/the-strength-of-my-parents-feelings-for-each-other-however-was-a/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“He’d valued his dignity more than his own life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/he-d-valued-his-dignity-more-than-his-own-life/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“It was the dilemma all three of us had. Every choice we made cut us off permanently from someone we loved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/it-was-the-dilemma-all-three-of-us-had-every-choice-we-made-cut-us/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“There was just one problem, however, and it was a major one. I wasn’t choosing any of this. It was all happening to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/there-was-just-one-problem-however-and-it-was-a-major-one-i-wasn-t/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Most of the brokers who help defectors are human traffickers. They help women escape, not men. They’re paid to bring us to China either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/most-of-the-brokers-who-help-defectors-are-human-traffickers-they/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“I had to learn Mandarin. And I had the best teacher – necessity. 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Am I any different?… Not only did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/i-ll-do-whatever-it-takes-humans-are-selfish-and-care-only-for/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Not only did I believe that humans were selfish and base, I also knew that plenty of them were actually bad – content to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/not-only-did-i-believe-that-humans-were-selfish-and-base-i-also-knew/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Sixty thousand yuan – a fortune representing ten years’ wages at the restaurant – and a week’s imprisonment with the threat of rape, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/sixty-thousand-yuan-a-fortune-representing-ten-years-wages-at-the/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Every so often the authorities registered voters in order to find out who was missing and why. I had turned eighteen and was old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/every-so-often-the-authorities-registered-voters-in-order-to-find-out/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“At the end of that first year at secondary school the ceremonies held on the anniversary of the Korean War affected me deeply and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/at-the-end-of-that-first-year-at-secondary-school-the-ceremonies-held/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“Afterwards, wedding photographs were taken, as was customary, at the feet of the great bronze statue of Kim Il-sung on Mansu Hill. This was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/afterwards-wedding-photographs-were-taken-as-was-customary-at-the/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“It’s funny how the final straw is invariably a trivial incident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/it-s-funny-how-the-final-straw-is-invariably-a-trivial-incident/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [“History lessons were superficial. The past was not set in stone, and was occasionally rewritten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/history-lessons-were-superficial-the-past-was-not-set-in-stone-and/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) [Explore all 30 Hyeonseo Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) ## More First time quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. 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And for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/i-m-waiting-for-you-he-murmured-smiling-a-slow-familiar-grin-that/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [“Treat every natural beauty you met as if you see them for the first and last time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/treat-every-natural-beauty-you-met-as-if-you-see-them-for-the-first/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I won’t break your heart. For the first time in my life, I’ve found something worth fighting for, someone more important than me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelle-bliss/i-won-t-break-your-heart-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-i-ve-found/) [Chelle Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelle-bliss/) > [Life is like a parachute jump: you have to get it right the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-like-a-parachute-jump-you-have-to-get-it-right-the-first-time/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [When my kids were in the school play for the first time, I decided I had to make the costumes from scratch and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-alexander/when-my-kids-were-in-the-school-play-for-the-first-time-i-decided-i/) [Sarah Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-alexander/) > [“I will run every mile, i will save every line, i will say i reached the top and i will fall back down standing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mennah-al-refaey/i-will-run-every-mile-i-will-save-every-line-i-will-say-i-reached-the/) Mennah al refaey > [“Or maybe your magic isn't that destructive after all. 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