--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: North Korean defectors can usually tell…" description: "\"North Korean defectors can usually tell when other defectors are lying about their past.\" — Lee Hyeon-seo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_korean_north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell_2042738.jpg" --- # North Korean defectors can usually tell when other… ![“North Korean defectors can usually tell when other defectors are lying about their past.” quote by Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_korean_north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell_2042738.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_korean_north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell_2042738.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_korean_north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell_2042738.jpg) > “North Korean defectors can usually tell when other defectors are lying about their past.” [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 develop keen intuition about others’ truthfulness due to shared trauma. **In simple terms:** Defectors can spot lies among peers. Key Takeaway Trust instincts when assessing stories. Themes trust deception survival community psychology Mood reflective cautious Type analytical observational When to use this quote - refugee interviews - security screenings - community integration Key Concepts social cognition trauma bonding credibility assessment Questions to Reflect On - How does shared experience affect trust? - When should skepticism be tempered? A Different Perspective Not all lies are harmful; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defectors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defectors/) [Korean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korean/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [North korean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korean/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [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 often find it hard to settle down. It is not easy for somebody who’s escaped a totalitarian country to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-demick/north-korean-defectors-often-find-it-hard-to-settle-down-it-is-not/) [Barbara Demick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-demick/) > [I don't think the current regime of South Korea will deal actively with the issue of North Korean defectors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-young-sam/i-don-t-think-the-current-regime-of-south-korea-will-deal-actively/) [Kim Young-sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-young-sam/) > [South Koreans often don't think of North Korean defectors as Korean. While we have been granted citizenship, the locals don't consider us as South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/south-koreans-often-don-t-think-of-north-korean-defectors-as-korean/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [I feel very sorry for the one or two North Korean defectors who were caught by Chinese police while entering South Korean or foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-young-sam/i-feel-very-sorry-for-the-one-or-two-north-korean-defectors-who-were/) [Kim Young-sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-young-sam/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [Here in South Korea, I'm continuing to learn English in order to boost my prospects. When North Korean defectors try to get a job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/here-in-south-korea-i-m-continuing-to-learn-english-in-order-to-boost/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [I hate the Chinese government. If you do not want to embrace North Korean defectors in your country, I understand. But we have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/i-hate-the-chinese-government-if-you-do-not-want-to-embrace-north/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-connections-in-pyongyang-or-came/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [I watched a lot of documentaries about North Korean defectors. I also practiced speaking in a North Korean accent with a teacher, and studied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoyeon-jung/i-watched-a-lot-of-documentaries-about-north-korean-defectors-i-also/) [HoYeon Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoyeon-jung/) > [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/) > [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/) ## 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/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-connections-in-pyongyang-or-came/) [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/) [Explore all 86 Lee Hyeon-seo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) ## More Defectors quotes > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/if-defectors-say-they-had-high-level-connections-in-pyongyang-or-came/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [I met Lee Harvey Oswald, in Moscow just after he defected. One night I was having dinner with a friend, an Italian newspaper cor­respondent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/i-met-lee-harvey-oswald-in-moscow-just-after-he-defected-one-night-i/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [I feel very sorry for the one or two North Korean defectors who were caught by Chinese police while entering South Korean or foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-young-sam/i-feel-very-sorry-for-the-one-or-two-north-korean-defectors-who-were/) [Kim Young-sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-young-sam/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I've always said, 'I am a selector, I am not defector' - the first few phrases in English I learned. I said I hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-ve-always-said-i-am-a-selector-i-am-not-defector-the-first-few/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [The Yuppies are not defectors from revolt, they are a new race, assured, amnestied, exculpated, moving with ease in the world of performance, mentally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/the-yuppies-are-not-defectors-from-revolt-they-are-a-new-race-assured/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [I don't think the current regime of South Korea will deal actively with the issue of North Korean defectors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-young-sam/i-don-t-think-the-current-regime-of-south-korea-will-deal-actively/) [Kim Young-sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-young-sam/) > [North Korean defectors often find it hard to settle down. It is not easy for somebody who’s escaped a totalitarian country to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-demick/north-korean-defectors-often-find-it-hard-to-settle-down-it-is-not/) [Barbara Demick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-demick/) > [For people who love Tribe, I'm the defector. They say, 'You should get back with Ali to do the beats.' But a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-tip/for-people-who-love-tribe-i-m-the-defector-they-say-you-should-get/) [Q-Tip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-tip/) > [Divorce can leave children feeling like defectors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/divorce-can-leave-children-feeling-like-defectors/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [Defectors often cause more difficulty than disinterested disbelievers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/defectors-often-cause-more-difficulty-than-disinterested-disbelievers/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [Professionalism in tennis ... only resulted in making billionaires out of rude children, producing an onslaught of moody defectors, and a lot of guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/professionalism-in-tennis-only-resulted-in-making-billionaires-out-of/) [Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/) [Browse all 18 Defectors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defectors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "North Korean defectors can usually tell when other defectors are lying about their past.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lee Hyeon-seo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell-when-other-defectors-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Defectors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell-when-other-defectors-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_korean_north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell_2042738.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_korean_north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell_2042738.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/lee-hyeon-seo-7936_korean_north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell_2042738.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“North Korean defectors can usually tell when other defectors are lying about their past.” — 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": "North Korean defectors can usually tell...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell-when-other-defectors-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korean-defectors-can-usually-tell-when-other-defectors-are/#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 } } ] } ```