--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In North Korea, it was actually an…" description: "\"In North Korea, it was actually an oppressive regime and that's why I escaped with my life.\" — Park Yeon-mi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/park-yeon-mi-5169_life_in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppres_877179.jpg" --- # In North Korea, it was actually an oppressive regime and… ![“In North Korea, it was actually an oppressive regime and that's why I escaped with my life.” quote by Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/park-yeon-mi-5169_life_in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppres_877179.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/park-yeon-mi-5169_life_in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppres_877179.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/park-yeon-mi-5169_life_in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppres_877179.jpg) > “In North Korea, it was actually an oppressive regime and that's why I escaped with my life.” [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She describes North Korea as oppressive, prompting her escape for survival. **In simple terms:** North Korea is harsh; she fled to survive. Key Takeaway Recognize and act against oppressive conditions. Themes freedom human rights survival political oppression Mood somber determined Type testimonial political When to use this quote - asylum applications - human rights advocacy - educational talks - policy reform Key Concepts totalitarianism personal agency exile Questions to Reflect On - What drives someone to risk everything for freedom? - How can societies support refugees from oppressive regimes? A Different Perspective Escaping can involve great personal risk and loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [North korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korea/) [Regime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regime/) ## Related quotes > [I think, in the long term it's in the goal of everyone to see a unified Korea that actually provides for the people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-think-in-the-long-term-it-s-in-the-goal-of-everyone-to-see-a/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The other countries did not share the same concern the United States had in the early '90's - that North Korea actually had an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-reiss/the-other-countries-did-not-share-the-same-concern-the-united-states/) [Mitchell Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-reiss/) > [The military defeat of an oppressive regime is important, but it does not answer our problems. It is where our problems begin, since social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-gibson/the-military-defeat-of-an-oppressive-regime-is-important-but-it-does/) [Nigel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-gibson/) > [Freedom is not won by merely overthrowing a tyrannical ruler or an oppressive regime. That is usually only the prelude to a new tyranny,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/freedom-is-not-won-by-merely-overthrowing-a-tyrannical-ruler-or-an/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [I myself hate the communist North Korean system. That doesn't mean I should let the people in the North suffer under an oppressive regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/i-myself-hate-the-communist-north-korean-system-that-doesn-t-mean-i/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [In human history who hold the reigns of political power, and there are some women who were very much a team player during their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-nordlinger/in-human-history-who-hold-the-reigns-of-political-power-and-there-are/) [Jay Nordlinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-nordlinger/) > [“Books became my life, or maybe I should say books became the way I escaped from my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-hoffman/books-became-my-life-or-maybe-i-should-say-books-became-the-way-i/) [Beth Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-hoffman/) > [“Vimes' meeting with the Patrician ended as all such meetings did, with the guest going away in possession of an unfocused yet very nagging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/vimes-meeting-with-the-patrician-ended-as-all-such-meetings-did-with/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Having lost his mother, father, brother, an grandfather, the friends and foes of his youth, his beloved teacher Bernard Kornblum, his city, his history—his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/having-lost-his-mother-father-brother-an-grandfather-the-friends-and-2/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“That's because we were together for two years and she led me on a treacherous journey through bitchy, across frigid, and into the land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-culpepper/that-s-because-we-were-together-for-two-years-and-she-led-me-on-a/) [S.E. Culpepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-culpepper/) > [When the terrible accident occurred, at least I escaped with my life. I was the lucky one, that was my reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/when-the-terrible-accident-occurred-at-least-i-escaped-with-my-life-i/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Kim Jong-un and the regime don't just oppress - they play with human lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/kim-jong-un-and-the-regime-don-t-just-oppress-they-play-with-human/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [Clearly if the United States' relationship with Cuba changed, which would require a regime change inside Cuba, if Cuba moved towards a more democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/clearly-if-the-united-states-relationship-with-cuba-changed-which/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [It's with them that we have constituted a liberation front and brought our logistic support to armies to help their countries come out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-ben-bella/it-s-with-them-that-we-have-constituted-a-liberation-front-and/) [Ahmed Ben Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-ben-bella/) ## More by Park Yeon-mi > [Risking your life is not an easy thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/risking-your-life-is-not-an-easy-thing-to-do/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [Going to Columbia, the first thing I learned was 'safe space.' Every problem, they explained us, is because of white men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/going-to-columbia-the-first-thing-i-learned-was-safe-space-every/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [I was a slave. I was sold in China in 2007 as a child at 13 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/i-was-a-slave-i-was-sold-in-china-in-2007-as-a-child-at-13-years-old/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [My mum was sold for $65 and I was sold for $260 - at the age of 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/my-mum-was-sold-for-65-and-i-was-sold-for-260-at-the-age-of-13/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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, human rights.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/if-there-is-no-word-that-means-you-don-t-have-the-concept-in-north/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [My favorite movies were 'Titanic,' 'James Bond' and 'Pretty Woman' - people smuggled in pirate copies from China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/my-favorite-movies-were-titanic-james-bond-and-pretty-woman-people/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [Kim Jong-un and the regime don't just oppress - they play with human lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/kim-jong-un-and-the-regime-don-t-just-oppress-they-play-with-human/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [My father died without knowing even this kind of democracy exists in the world. He didn't even know this much food was available in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/my-father-died-without-knowing-even-this-kind-of-democracy-exists-in/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [That is what is happening in America. People see things, but still they've just completely lost the ability to think critically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/that-is-what-is-happening-in-america-people-see-things-but-still-they/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/north-korea-is-a-religion-we-are-told-that-kim-is-a-god-and-that-he/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [I had to be very unrealistic about my situation. If I was so realistic I would never have made it this far. So, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/i-had-to-be-very-unrealistic-about-my-situation-if-i-was-so-realistic/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/i-thought-north-koreans-were-the-only-people-who-hated-americans-but/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [Back in 2014, at the One Young World Summit in Dublin, I shared my story of my escape from North Korea to China in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/back-in-2014-at-the-one-young-world-summit-in-dublin-i-shared-my/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [North Korea is a very Confucius country. We respect the elders, the hierarchy. It's not like America where anyone can step up and do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/north-korea-is-a-very-confucius-country-we-respect-the-elders-the/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [Everything in North Korea was about the leader, all the books, music and TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/everything-in-north-korea-was-about-the-leader-all-the-books-music/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) [Explore all 103 Park Yeon-mi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) ## More Korea quotes > [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [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/) > [All the people in Korea are cheering me like I'm a gold medalist or something, so I have a responsibility to my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psy/all-the-people-in-korea-are-cheering-me-like-i-m-a-gold-medalist-or/) [PSY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psy/) > [During the periods when South Korea played a more active role, the inter-Korean relationship was more peaceful, and there was less tension between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/during-the-periods-when-south-korea-played-a-more-active-role-the/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [You know Kim Jong Un, the evil dictator of North Korea? Apparently, a guy in his inner circle used his ashtray while smoking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-know-kim-jong-un-the-evil-dictator-of-north-korea-apparently-a/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [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 hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [The Globe reports that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il raises money by selling fake Viagra pills. What it is about this guy? None of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-globe-reports-that-north-korean-dictator-kim-jong-il-raises-money/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [At independence Kenya's economic indicators were equal to those of South Korea, but 45 years down the road, Korea's economy is 40 times that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raila-odinga/at-independence-kenya-s-economic-indicators-were-equal-to-those-of/) [Raila Odinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raila-odinga/) > [“If you took some North Korean songs and replaced Kim Il Sung with God or Jesus it would sound exactly like a Christian hymn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-kim/if-you-took-some-north-korean-songs-and-replaced-kim-il-sung-with-god/) Mike Kim > [Pyongyang possesses thousands of artillery pieces 30 miles from Seoul. Just one retaliatory salvo could decimate South Korea's capital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-blinken/pyongyang-possesses-thousands-of-artillery-pieces-30-miles-from-seoul/) [Antony Blinken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-blinken/) > [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/) > [People ask where I'm from, and I say 'Los Angeles.' Then they ask again. 'Well, my parents are from Korea.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-kim/people-ask-where-i-m-from-and-i-say-los-angeles-then-they-ask-again/) [Chloe Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-kim/) > [We've seen a massive attack on the freedom of the web. Governments are realizing the power of this medium to organize people and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-brin/we-ve-seen-a-massive-attack-on-the-freedom-of-the-web-governments-are/) [Sergey Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergey-brin/) [Browse all 949 Korea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In North Korea, it was actually an oppressive regime and that's why I escaped with my life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Park Yeon-mi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppressive-regime-and-that-s-why-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Korea" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppressive-regime-and-that-s-why-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/park-yeon-mi-5169_life_in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppres_877179.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/park-yeon-mi-5169_life_in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppres_877179.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/park-yeon-mi-5169_life_in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppres_877179.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In North Korea, it was actually an oppressive regime and that's why I escaped with my life.” — Park Yeon-mi", "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": "Park Yeon-mi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In North Korea, it was actually...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppressive-regime-and-that-s-why-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/in-north-korea-it-was-actually-an-oppressive-regime-and-that-s-why-i/#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 } } ] } ```