Seohyun Lee: North Korea, Life in Pyongyang, Seeking Freedom | Korea Deconstructed #019

Seohyun Lee was born and raised in central Pyongyang, North Korea. She went to China to study when she was a sophomore at Kim Il Sung University and earned her bachelor’s degree of Science in Finance from Dongbei University of Economics and Finance in 2014. She defected from North Korea in October 2014 during a heightened period of brutal purges by the Kim Jong Un regime. With her long- term vision to build a liberal democratic system and bring freedom in North Korea, she pursues further graduate studies an currently runs a YouTube channel ‘Pyonghattan’ with her brother. Our conversation started with language and Seohyun made it clear that rather than being called a defector or escapee, she prefers the term North Korean freedom seeker. She had done nothing wrong before leaving her country and wants to find a term that best encapsulates that sense of innocence and positivity. She spoke about her childhood in North Korea: what toys she had, what games she played, and what school was like. She also recounted the pressures of trying to stay warm in the country during the cold winters. She explained dating culture in North Korea, shopping, drinking, and the dangers of watching South Korean content. In terms of politics, Seohyun finds problems with the theocratic leadership in North Korea rather than the citizens. She paints a picture of what socialism means in the country in day-to-day life and describes the misconceptions and misunderstandings that many have about the country. Finally, she gave us her views on life, its meaning, and what the future holds.

Pyonghattan YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Pyonghattan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pyonghattan

Why I Left North Korea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5AoG...

 

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

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