--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If defectors say they had high-level…" description: "\"If defectors say they had high-level connections in Pyongyang or came from an esteemed institution in the North, they can gain better employment in the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_better_if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-con_212783.jpg" --- # If defectors say they had high-level connections in… ![“If defectors say they had high-level connections in Pyongyang or came from an esteemed institution in the North, they can gain better employment in the South, where life can be very difficult for North Koreans.” quote by Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_better_if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-con_212783.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_better_if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-con_212783.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_better_if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-con_212783.jpg) > “If defectors say they had high-level connections in Pyongyang or came from an esteemed institution in the North, they can gain better employment in the South, where life can be very difficult for North Koreans.” [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Defectors claim elite ties to secure jobs in South Korea, despite harsh conditions for many North Koreans. **In simple terms:** Claims of connections help gain better jobs in the South. Key Takeaway Leverage any credible network for opportunities. Themes migration employment inequality Mood hopeful critical Type sociopolitical analytical When to use this quote - job search - refugee resettlement - policy advocacy Key Concepts social mobility political leverage integration Questions to Reflect On - How do elite claims affect community solidarity? - What policies could reduce reliance on connections? A Different Perspective Such claims may be scrutinized and can undermine trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Connections Pyongyang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections-pyongyang-2192374/) [Defectors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defectors/) [Defectors Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defectors-say-2192373/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [North korean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korean/) [North Koreans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-koreans/) [Pyongyang Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pyongyang-came-2192375/) ## Related quotes > [North Korean defectors who speak out against the regime always feel nervous. We never know what the North Korean government is planning. It's really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korean-defectors-who-speak-out-against-the-regime-always-feel/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [North Korean defectors can usually tell when other defectors are lying about their past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell-when-other-defectors-are/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [Living in China, I found out that the bright new world was not for me, not for defectors. My life in North Korea had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/living-in-china-i-found-out-that-the-bright-new-world-was-not-for-me/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [Due to hate, fear, and oppression, the North Koreans cannot help themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/due-to-hate-fear-and-oppression-the-north-koreans-cannot-help/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [It was very shocking for me to read newspapers that openly criticised the government in South Korea. That is impossible in North Korea and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/it-was-very-shocking-for-me-to-read-newspapers-that-openly-criticised/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [North Koreans are tragically oppressed. Despite the risks to my personal safety, I feel a strong obligation to tell the world about the Orwellian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-koreans-are-tragically-oppressed-despite-the-risks-to-my/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [I am one of the lucky North Koreans who made it out of China. North Korean defectors in the country are terrified of trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/i-am-one-of-the-lucky-north-koreans-who-made-it-out-of-china-north/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [Like every country, North Korea has some very smart people. They could be contributing a lot more to science and other areas, but North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/like-every-country-north-korea-has-some-very-smart-people-they-could/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [North Korea is not the dictator's country; it's 25 million citizens' country, and they are suffering under the dictator. North Koreans are really nice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korea-is-not-the-dictator-s-country-it-s-25-million-citizens/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [Some people criticize North Koreans and ask, 'Are they stupid? How can they believe those ridiculous things?' But I say, It doesn't matter if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/some-people-criticize-north-koreans-and-ask-are-they-stupid-how-can/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [In North Koreans, the moment we are born, we don't know there's another life existing outside of our country. The regime always told us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/in-north-koreans-the-moment-we-are-born-we-don-t-know-there-s-another/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [Freedom means everything to me. It is the most essential right that every person deserves. Most people take it for granted, but not North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/freedom-means-everything-to-me-it-is-the-most-essential-right-that/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [North Koreans are forced to work at state jobs in a moribund economy. Countless parents watch their children go to bed hungry. Many North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-koreans-are-forced-to-work-at-state-jobs-in-a-moribund-economy/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [“Author interview with Chun Jung-hee, head nurse at Hanawon resettlement centre in South Korea. The government-funded centre has measured and weighed North Korean defectors”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/author-interview-with-chun-jung-hee-head-nurse-at-hanawon/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is natural for us to pay attention to North Korea and human rights issues of North Korean defectors but I wish people would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hark-joon-lee/it-is-natural-for-us-to-pay-attention-to-north-korea-and-human-rights/) [Hark-Joon Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hark-joon-lee/) ## More by Lee Hyeon-seo > [Leaving North Korea is not like leaving any other country. It is more like leaving another universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/leaving-north-korea-is-not-like-leaving-any-other-country-it-is-more/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [North Korea is still my homeland, my country. I suffered on the outside because I was alien, without identity. I was nobody. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korea-is-still-my-homeland-my-country-i-suffered-on-the-outside/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [The kindness of strangers and the support of the international community are truly the rays of hope we North Korean people need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/the-kindness-of-strangers-and-the-support-of-the-international/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [A huge famine hit North Korea in the mid-1990s. Ultimately, more than a million North Koreans died during the famine, and many only survived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/a-huge-famine-hit-north-korea-in-the-mid-1990s-ultimately-more-than-a/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [Most people in the country didn't - and might still not - know about how powerful the United States is. They think North Korean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/most-people-in-the-country-didn-t-and-might-still-not-know-about-how/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [I just wanted to see China with my own eyes. I wanted to see whether North Korea was the best country in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/i-just-wanted-to-see-china-with-my-own-eyes-i-wanted-to-see-whether/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [People who live in North Korea, they die for food, but living in the free world, the cat even eats expensive sushi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/people-who-live-in-north-korea-they-die-for-food-but-living-in-the/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [Certainly in North Korea, man is always superior to woman. Even the government treats women horribly. What is the slogan? Woman is a flower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/certainly-in-north-korea-man-is-always-superior-to-woman-even-the/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [When I was little, I thought my country was the best on the planet. And I grew up singing a song called 'Nothing To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/when-i-was-little-i-thought-my-country-was-the-best-on-the-planet-and/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [The border crossing is the most dangerous moment for anyone attempting to escape. But my brother and mother had been waved off by every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/the-border-crossing-is-the-most-dangerous-moment-for-anyone/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [I lived near the border with China, and one night, I simply left home and walked across the iced-over river that separated the two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/i-lived-near-the-border-with-china-and-one-night-i-simply-left-home/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [Hyesan people have money, the most after those in Pyongyang, because it's near the border with China. Illegal smuggling businesses and Chinese trading companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/hyesan-people-have-money-the-most-after-those-in-pyongyang-because-it/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [North Korea is not the dictator's country; it's 25 million citizens' country, and they are suffering under the dictator. North Koreans are really nice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korea-is-not-the-dictator-s-country-it-s-25-million-citizens/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [I think it's possible that China is ready for a serious change regarding its North Korean defector policy. Chinese people are starting to realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/i-think-it-s-possible-that-china-is-ready-for-a-serious-change/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [When I was young, I thought Kim il-Sung or Kim Jong-il is hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/when-i-was-young-i-thought-kim-il-sung-or-kim-jong-il-is-hero/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) [Explore all 86 Lee Hyeon-seo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/) [Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The Little you Give !! The Better it Gets !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-stanyer/the-little-you-give-the-better-it-gets/) [Mario Stanyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-stanyer/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/) [Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/) > [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [I like to collaborate with other people for studio recordings because I believe collaboration, in any form, makes music better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-like-to-collaborate-with-other-people-for-studio-recordings-because/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/) [Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/) > [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [I never really look at it past one year. I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) [Browse all 17,085 Better quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If defectors say they had high-level connections in Pyongyang or came from an esteemed institution in the North, they can gain better employment in the South, where life can be very difficult for North Koreans.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lee Hyeon-seo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-connections-in-pyongyang-or-came/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Better" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-connections-in-pyongyang-or-came/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_better_if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-con_212783.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_better_if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-con_212783.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_better_if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-con_212783.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If defectors say they had high-level connections in Pyongyang or came from an esteemed institution in the…” — Lee Hyeon-seo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lee Hyeon-seo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If defectors say they had high-level...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-connections-in-pyongyang-or-came/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-connections-in-pyongyang-or-came/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```