This is a transcript of the Chul-eun Lee video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9rLqYXTaFI
Hey everybody, it’s Stephen from Asian Boss.
These days, maybe because of the pandemic, we don’t seem to hear a whole lot about North Korea from the media.
We pride ourselves in bringing you the most authentic news from Asia, and today we want to share with you an incredible story of a North Korean defector.
If you remember, we’ve interviewed quite a few number of North Korean defectors in the past, but the person you’re about to hear from has a very unique story.
Are you curious to hear about what’s going on in North Korea from the perspective of a high-ranking North Korean government official?
Let’s dive right in.
Thank you for joining us for this interview.
Thank you.
I’m more than grateful.
We’ve interviewed quite a few North Korean defectors in the past, but I’m aware that you have a different story.
Could you briefly introduce yourself?
I was originally from Hwanghae-nam-do, which is the administrative district.
I was a member of the National Security Department, which is like the National Intelligence Service.
I was a member of the National Security Department, and on September 18, 2016, I came to South Korea after swimming for 8 hours in the West Sea.
You were in a very high position, and you were a so-called elite.
Yes, I was an elite.
I’m sure our viewers around the world are very curious about you.
Could you briefly tell us what you were doing in North Korea?
The duty of a security officer is simple.
It’s to protect the Kim regime in North Korea.
And you know how they say they catch spies.
They go out and find spies who have been dispatched.
These are the basic duties.
But the most important thing is to control the North Korean people, the people’s minds, and how their minds are running.
In other words, you capture them, report them to the upper branch, and control what to do.
The security department is the same in South Korea.
The National Intelligence Service is the president’s direct subordinate.
The National Security Department is also Kim Jong-un’s direct subordinate.
It’s a direct subordinate.
Even people from abroad, the security department, follow them 100%.
They follow them to the Ban Tam.
They can’t go around freely.
Because they have a close relationship with the Security Department and the Foreign Affairs Department.
If they go to the Ban Tam, the Security Department has to go out and capture them.
If they can’t do that, they’re in trouble.
I know it’s a very high position.
Ordinary people can’t go in there.
In the case of the Security Department, there is an order from Kim Il-sung.
The reason why Kim Il-sung has an order is that the security department and children should follow their father’s back and be a security guard.
If the parents are a security guard, 80 to 90% of the children are security guards.
The family background is a bit of an elite.
Our family was all in the security department.
I remember my father in a military uniform and in the security department since I was young.
That’s all I can think of.
Is there any memorable episode while performing the mission?
I can’t tell you everything in an hour or two.
But the most memorable thing for me is the underground church party in North Korea.
In North Korea, Kim Jong-un has a philosophy of self-governance.
He says, the owner of his own destiny is himself, and the power to pave his own way is in himself.
This is the philosophy of self-governance.
In North Korea, you can’t believe that you’re God.
If you read the Bible, you can go to the political prison.
In North Korea, there is a case called Changdeok-ri in Yeonam-gun, Hwanghaenam-do.
It’s been going on since 2007.
In North Korea, 30 underground church members hang Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-un’s portraits on the wall.
Even now?
Even now.
But in the underground church party, they took off Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-un’s portraits, hung crosses, and preached the Bible.
It was revealed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
What happened to those who were exposed?
Those who were exposed were executed, sent to the political prison, and then to the church.
There was a punishment for North Koreans, so the main criminals were executed, and the public criminals were sent to the political prison.
It was a 10-year sentence.
Have you ever seen a political prison?
Because people don’t even know what it looks like.
That’s right.
I don’t even know what it looks like, but I know it well because my family was in the political prison.
How did you know?
There was a prison guard there.
Oh, a guard.
You weren’t dragged there?
No, no.
The people who controlled the prison were from the National Security Department.
It wasn’t a prison, but a big mountain valley with a village.
Like primitive society.
They formed a village, and they made a fence around it, so that people couldn’t run away.
They put machine guns everywhere they went, so that people couldn’t run away.
They built a farm in the guardhouse.
They grew rice, pigs, and corn there.
They couldn’t even watch TV.
They only told them about their working hours and meals.
So, there was no gender-based education.
They also had a marriage certificate.
They were all good workers.
There were also some who couldn’t leave the prison.
They had to stay in the political prison forever.
There was also a political prison where you could leave the prison after a few days.
Some of them actually left the prison.
It’s been a long time since you left the prison.
It’s been five years.
It’s been five years, but I heard that it’s different from North Korea’s situation 10 or 20 years ago.
What’s the situation like in North Korea now?
People who say that North Koreans hate Kim Jong-un 100% because he can’t swear openly.
That’s a lie.
If you hate him 100%, North Korea can’t exist now.
The fact that the dictatorship has been maintained for 70 to 80 years shows that the foundation is strong.
And North Koreans are more like Kim Jong-un than Kim Jong-il.
The most important thing is that he is young, but he is good at ruling the country.
Why?
Because he has a good image for North Koreans.
He has a good image as a ruler and a leader of the country.
He sits face to face with North Koreans and talks to them.
He goes to the soldiers in the water and says that he’s doing well.
North Koreans are seeing a new side of him.
He’s so innovative.
Wow, what is this?
Young people are so firm.
North Koreans are very firm about war.
I want to be honest with you on this channel.
North Korea is not easy.
North Korean soldiers are the same.
If we go to war, we will win.
This world is so weak.
Why?
To secure?
No matter how much the international law is suppressed and controlled, it goes out alone.
That’s why the regime is still in place, and those people still support Kim Jong-un.
If people think of the leader as a good person, there will be less work for the intelligence agency or the security department.
No.
Then there’s no need to catch him.
No, it’s not like that.
There’s a saying that one spy is more scary than a million enemies.
Like that, whether it’s one or two, North Korea has a class.
North Korea is a class society, so the basic class, the middle class, and the bottom class, the surveillance class, in a word, they have to be controlled.
The security department has a member who can control it.
One of the 700 to 1,200 security guards can control it.
Is that possible?
It’s possible.
So there’s an intelligence agent.
In the US, there’s a CIA, and they call them spies.
In North Korea, there’s an intelligence agent inside.
In a word, it’s just a security guard, but he’s a bad guy.
He’s a guy who talks like this.
But there are also a number of people who can be a security guard.
One security guard can also be a security guard for 20 to 40 people.
Then, 20 to 40 security guards are watching 700 to 1,200 North Koreans.
How many people did you manage?
I didn’t have many.
About 22?
It depends on whether it’s an economic crime or a political crime.
The political crime is much more dangerous.
That’s right.
In the case of a political crime, you can’t compromise.
In the case of a political crime, it’s not just going in.
If it’s a house, you can install a hearing device and a CCTV.
It’s not easy to find the right person and catch a political criminal.
Did you do that yourself?
That’s right.
That’s what we do.
You do the hearing.
I don’t do the hearing myself.
There’s another department.
That’s the investigation.
The investigation is done by the hearing device, and the information is judged and analyzed by the government.
It’s all about intelligence.
I think you’re in an elite group, so you don’t have any difficulties in your life.
I didn’t have any difficulties.
Can you tell me what kind of life people in North Korea’s elite class are living?
It’s the top 10% elite.
Why are they all there?
It’s a good life for them to live in North Korea.
It’s the Roman era.
There’s no age limit in North Korea.
It’s a class society, so you can’t say anything to an old man.
You have to act like a king in the old Joseon Dynasty.
So the executives are good.
But they can’t eat.
For example, they can’t drive a good car.
They can’t drive a car.
If you give them a job, they have to give it to you.
It’s not their car.
You can’t have a car in North Korea.
No matter how much you say you’re a executive.
You can’t have your own car.
People who have their own car are people who are in business, people who are in public institutions.
That’s all there is to it.
And now the gift car.
You won the sports game.
I went around the world and blew up nine airports in North Korea.
There’s a car for these people.
The car number is originally 216.
But the car number has changed to 727.
Why?
If the car number is 216, it’s Kim Jong-il’s birthday.
It’s Kim Jong-il’s birthday.
There’s another interesting story.
The car must have been a long time ago.
But another car went ahead of him.
But Kim Jong-il was ahead.
This is how he was shot.
Kim Jong-un said, I can’t do 216.
Change it to 727.
July 27th is the day Kim Jong-un made a political decision.
But in North Korea, July 27th, 1953 is the anniversary of the victory of the war.
It’s a commemoration of his victory in the war.
So I changed it to 727.
In Korea, you don’t know the car number.
But in North Korea, you can tell where the car is from the car number.
A great man must be riding in it.
Then he can’t be reckless.
But do you feel like leaving North Korea?
Yes.
I didn’t like it.
I didn’t like it.
They’re all the same people.
There’s a man named Mu Jirong.
North Korean officials look at North Korean citizens and say, People, people, people.
If you go in, you don’t say people.
What?
It’s called a bulge.
So I came out of North Korea.
There are many factors.
One of them was that life in North Korea seemed to be in a bad way.
I can’t see it.
More and more North Koreans are praising Kim Jong-un and Kim.
There are some people who don’t like it now.
A little bit.
Not a lot.
But if you don’t have a political wish, You can live freely as much as you can in Korea.
Especially because it’s an elite.
It’s not that free.
It’s not the freedom we think.
In other words, even if they’re North Korean officials, They’re worse than us.
You can’t go on a trip or go anywhere.
In that part, it’s also a framework.
And you have to report all the days you’ve been somewhere.
Officials?
Yes.
It’s not that they don’t clean up their lives.
Once a week.
And in the case of cultural art, Self-criticism once a day.
Self-criticism.
Does that mean you’re watching each other?
We have to watch each other and criticize each other.
They’re executives, but we have to criticize each other.
The whole family is there.
You’re in Korea now.
What about your family?
My father has already gone to heaven.
My mother is alone.
So I’m fine with my uncles and my mother.
I met the Korean people for the first time in 2007.
I was in the North Korean military.
I think rice came in as a substitute.
I came to Korea for the first time.
I talked to the vice-general and learned.
And I got to know Korea better.
Is Korea like that?
Korea is so different from what I know.
Korea is a poor country.
A country that can’t live.
And the US colonial territory.
I thought it was a country that was completely trampled on as a modern colonial territory.
I graduated from college.
I got a job at the Hwanghae South Security Bureau.
You can watch Korean TV directly there.
I felt a lot while watching it.
The world is developing like this.
I found out about this.
And then my father died.
I had a problem with my promotion while I was in the security bureau.
And on August 15, 2016, President Park Geun-hye’s death anniversary.
People in the North.
Come to Korea at any time.
The road is open.
A new road is open.
I heard this and it came to my head.
So I thought, Then I should go to Korea.
That’s when I made up my mind.
But why did you swim to the sea?
I swam to the sea.
When you look at the geographical location, Hwanghae South Security Bureau is the closest to Korea.
And if we go up the border, We have to go too far.
And I came with my friend.
I didn’t do it alone.
Was your friend in the same department?
No, my friend is just a regular social person.
I came with my friend.
My friend couldn’t go there.
I knew the place well.
So we decided to go to the West Sea.
I don’t think it was that far.
Until you get into the water.
How far is it?
It’s about 6km.
Wow, you swam 6km.
Yes.
Then, on the day you made up your mind, Please explain to me.
How did you do it in the morning?
How much did you plan?
How was it on that day?
The plan was September 15, 2010.
It was probably Chuseok.
I spent Chuseok.
And I went to my father.
I said hello.
I said hello to my heart that I was going to Korea.
But I didn’t go to my mother.
I’m afraid I’ll be weak.
If I tell my mother, I told her not to go.
Why are you going there?
What’s missing?
So I’m afraid I’ll be weak.
I didn’t go to my mother.
I thought a lot for three days.
Do I really have to choose this way?
But I have to go. 80% of the time, I have to go.
I was thinking about it.
It’s a job.
What did you say at work?
I didn’t talk about it at work.
I just said, I have to work because of the supervisor.
I came out.
You’re going to come back tomorrow.
I didn’t think the person in the body bag was going to Korea.
I didn’t do that at all.
I just brought my ID card.
I left everything on the desk.
And then I was out for three or four days.
It’s okay.
I went the day before yesterday.
I looked at it.
What time does the water come in?
What time does the water go out?
I think I need to go through the 5th unit.
There’s another guard.
The 5th unit is not under surveillance.
The 5th unit doesn’t have electricity.
There’s no guard.
Because there’s a guard.
I did a pre-examination.
I went to the market that day.
I bought a tube.
I bought a pump.
I bought some food in my bag.
I had a rental motorcycle at 8 o’clock that day.
It’s a taxi.
I give you money and I give you a ride to the 5th unit.
I walked a long way to get there.
As soon as the sun went down, we got in.
How did you get on the mine?
The mine…
My friend is tall.
He has a long lower body.
So I told my friend, You spread your legs this wide and step on it.
He stepped on it first.
And then I’m fine.
I stepped on it and followed it.
I put my hand on the electric wire first.
You can’t do this.
If you do this, the electricity will stick.
So you have to do this.
Then your hands will automatically be twisted.
This is what I saw.
The bones and joints are twisted like this.
If you hurt the electricity like this, you’ll die.
So you have to do this.
If the electricity comes in, I can’t feel the electricity.
So I spread the electric wire, My friend went out, and then I followed him.
Like this.
Why didn’t you have electricity?
The electricity situation in North Korea is poor.
Because it’s weak.
We can’t get electricity normally.
Before you jumped in, Did you see anyone behind you?
Before I jumped in, I entered the water when there were no people.
As soon as we came in, The guards came out of the water.
It was only 10 minutes late, We couldn’t get in.
Before we got out of the water, We crossed the minefield and went into the water.
The moon was so bright that day.
The moon was as bright as the moon.
But we got out of the water.
If you stand up, you’ll die.
We were walking forward.
In the mud?
Yes, in admiration.
It was hard.
We were about 100 meters away from the minefield. 100 meters, 150 meters, 200 meters.
The moon was so bright that we couldn’t get up.
At that moment, the sky came.
The black clouds covered the moon.
We stood up and ran.
We ran for a long time, but we got out of the danger zone.
After a while, we ran to a certain extent, and then it was water.
The biggest variable was that I couldn’t put air in the tube.
Why?
It’s a minefield, so I didn’t put much in.
I just put my backpack on.
I put my backpack on and swam for a while.
I even put on my shoes.
In the water.
But it was too hard.
After two hours, I threw away everything I had to eat.
I had no choice but to throw it away.
I thought I was going to die, but I didn’t care about what I ate.
I threw away all my shoes, took off my pants, and swam.
I kept walking.
When I think about that time, the most memorable thing for me is The most missing thing in this world is the land.
I want to step on the ground before I die.
How strong were you?
Did you take care of your body?
I’m confident in swimming.
I trusted my body.
Is your friend similar?
He’s in better shape than me.
He’s 78 years old and has a good body.
I thought I’d get help from him because I was looking forward to it.
But he fell first.
He said, I can’t do it.
I couldn’t go because I swam for three or four hours.
You swam for three or four hours without a break.
That’s right.
You say you get cramps.
In the water?
Yes, I got cramps in the water.
He couldn’t move.
You have to bend your toes backwards in the water.
You can’t bend your toes like this.
If you bend your toes like this, you won’t get cramps.
You have to bend your toes the other way around.
You’ll get cramps if your toes break.
I put my hand on one side of the water and pressed it.
I got better after that.
And when the waves hit, the sea water comes in.
If you drink three sips of salty water, you’ll get a headache.
I can’t talk because I’m out of my mind.
I just kept swimming.
I don’t know when I’m going to die, but I kept swimming.
A ship came out of the water.
The ship on the other side?
Yes.
I thought it was a North Korean ship.
That’s possible.
I don’t know where the South and North are in the sea.
I don’t know if the South and North are over the sea.
I saw a ship coming, and I thought, Oh, it’s the North Korean police station.
We found it.
And then I looked to the side, and there was a small island on the other side.
We went to that island and swam.
It was 300 meters.
I swam and got to that island, and it was small.
It was very small.
I don’t regret coming here, but it was a small island in the Hanbak Island.
I got to that island, and the ship left.
It’s cold on September 18th.
It’s very cold at night.
The two of us were shaking.
We’re all dressed up.
I’m wearing my top and my pants.
I was wearing shorts and underwear.
I was shaking because it was cold.
I was sleeping in a trash can.
I fell asleep and woke up.
It was a bright day.
It was bright, so I went up to the top of the island and looked down.
I couldn’t go into the water.
I was scared.
I made a raft with my friend and a strip on it.
I put my body on the raft.
But the ship came again.
You have to float the flag to know.
There was no flag.
Which country’s ship is that?
I hid for a while, and then I came out.
The ship disappeared.
So we threw the flag and went to the Marine Corps.
I washed my body and covered it with my hands.
I followed the water.
The ships from Korea were coming.
I thought, finally, I’m coming out.
I heard that the ship was from Korea.
I heard it was from Korea, so I came in.
The ship that came out at night was a Korean ship.
I met a soldier who was watching the Marine Corps.
He found it and reported it to the upper department.
I think two defectors are coming.
That’s how the ship came out.
How did you know?
There’s a military equipment.
I think they’re watching North Korea.
There’s a heat detection system.
The person is caught in the heat and moves.
After two hours, the person’s surveillance system is gone.
Why is it gone?
Low temperature.
The person’s body temperature is not 36.5 degrees.
It’s completely gone.
The system is in the water.
The surveillance system is gone.
Even though the body temperature was low, You’ve been holding it for eight hours.
I don’t know.
I guess I was strong.
I feel like I’ve lived a dream.
What happened next?
I came on a military ship.
The ship came to Incheon Port.
When I arrived at Incheon Port, I was wearing a military uniform and a knife.
A middle-class person with a national security visa.
There was an ID card and an emergency search warrant.
In North Korea, you can’t go to each region.
You can’t go to the Liberty Army.
You can’t go to Pyongyang.
You can go to Pyongyang only if you have a passport.
I think that’s why they thought I was a spy.
I think they thought I was a spy.
But I’m not.
As soon as I got in, I brought in the soldiers.
It was a scene from a drama.
There were so many tall people.
They were wearing eye masks.
I thought I was coming from Incheon Port to Seoul.
But now that I think about it, I’m coming from Incheon Port to Seoul.
I went to the National Intelligence Service.
I didn’t investigate on the day.
When I got there, they clapped.
They clapped and said, Welcome to Korea.
I was like, what is this?
They took pictures.
They took a picture of my ID card.
They took a shower first.
They took a shower first.
They told me to take a shower.
Were you with your friend?
No.
As soon as I got in, we were separated.
We were separated.
We started our own investigation.
They started investigating the next day.
I was there for about two months.
How did you do that investigation?
Because you could be suspected of being a spy from North Korea.
I checked if I was really in the National Intelligence Service.
Some people lie.
To check, I checked the department of the National Intelligence Service.
Did you check the lie detector?
Of course, I did.
You did?
I checked the system of the National Intelligence Service.
I checked the buildings in Hwanghae-nam-do, Hwanghae-nam-do, Gangwon-do.
I checked the location of the buildings.
Did you stay there for two months?
I stayed there for two months.
Then I went to another investigation.
I stayed there for another month and a half.
Then I left.
You left for the society.
You received education.
Yes.
How did you receive it?
They told me about the Korean system and how it works.
They taught me a lot of foreign languages.
North Koreans don’t use English.
They taught me a lot of foreign languages.
I was disappointed for two months.
I shouldn’t have come.
Why?
It was difficult.
I was worried about getting a job.
How should I live?
I’ve never worked in North Korea.
I was told to get a job at a security office.
How should I live?
I studied police for two months.
I studied police.
There was no North Korean defector in South Korea.
There was no police.
I realized that there was discrimination.
I thought that South Korea was a country where everyone studied hard.
I studied police for 12 years.
I’m not a hard-working person.
I heard that there was no hope.
North Koreans say that they don’t discriminate.
But there are limits to discrimination.
Do you get a job in North Korea?
Do you try to get a job?
I was offered a job before.
But I didn’t get a job because I thought I’d be criticized.
What did you do?
I studied police.
I got a job at a company that makes cosmetics.
I got a job at a company that makes shampoo containers.
I learned how to operate a machine.
I worked for a year.
I was so busy with work that I went to work and came home.
I had a rest on the weekend.
I didn’t come to South Korea to work.
I thought about it.
I quit my job and went to another country.
I worked as a floor tile.
I worked for six months.
I worked as an insurance company.
I worked as a security guard for a year.
You’ve done a lot of things.
I’ve done a lot.
What did you think of South Korea’s society?
For example, there are good things and bad things.
I don’t know how to tell you this.
I don’t think it’s all Koreans.
This is my personal opinion.
The national defense is too much.
It’s the best in the world.
And there are so many prejudices.
I felt a lot while talking.
Not only North Korea, but the world has to admit it.
People don’t admit it.
The change of society is developed from the city and followed by the countryside.
You can’t develop the countryside and the city.
You can’t show that you’re the whole of North Korea.
I’m trying to make you understand.
It’s not like that in North Korea.
North Korea is trying as hard as the developed countries.
In general, universities teach on the Internet.
We can’t do it on the Internet.
We use the Internet all over the world.
But North Korea doesn’t have the Internet.
Because we use the Internet.
They say they study through the Internet.
But North Korea is not much different.
It’s changed a lot.
There’s delivery.
And the robot comes to the restaurant and orders.
Like that, the guide comes and orders with a pad.
The system is changing little by little.
Even if the United States doesn’t protect the military, If you fight with North Korea alone, you win.
War is a fight.
You don’t have to be sure you’re winning.
Why?
It’s not overrated, but it’s not overrated.
But if you try to explain this and improve the relationship, It doesn’t work.
It’s a foreign policy.
I don’t think this is better than North Korea.
What is this?
Why did you come from North Korea?
What do you think is worse than North Korea?
Of course, there are many good things.
Of course, there are many things, but if I say it’s bad, I think Korea is a little behind in terms of recognition and understanding.
People who lived in Korea for a long time have a strong sense of stereotype.
If you meet the new generation and talk to them, you can talk to them.
North Korea understands this quickly.
But people who live here don’t understand that North Korea is good.
There’s a generation gap.
There’s a generation gap.
But as you know, people listen to one side of the story on social media.
Especially the media.
So people have to be brainwashed like that.
There’s something fundamentally bad in Korea.
The fundamental bad thing is the news.
I think the media is pretty bad.
It’s too much.
It’s the opposite.
I hope North Korea and South Korea are half and half.
I don’t know if the media is involved in politics.
But the media kills one person.
They turn someone into a model.
And they don’t explain about that person.
If it’s been revealed that this person is innocent, it’s been revealed that there was no such thing.
They don’t do that.
The most fundamental thing about Korea is that it likes to be provocative.
If someone is exposed, if someone is explained, they have to explain that this person is innocent.
But there’s no explanation here.
So I think there’s nothing different from North Korea.
North Korea is the same.
If someone is caught and used, there are cases where they are not criminals.
But they don’t reveal it.
Because North Korea’s image and authority is different.
So they don’t reveal it.
So I think there’s nothing different from North Korea.
I can relate to your humble statement.
And this could be a problem in Korea, too.
But I think the media trend is like that all over the world.
So this is a very important problem.
In general, I want to say that South Korea is good.
And North Korea is doing well.
But South Korea is better.
Speaking of military power, do you think North Korea is behind in military power?
I don’t think it’s behind that much.
North Korean soldiers are only told by thin soldiers.
They are weak and wear crooked hats.
But not all North Korean soldiers are like that.
I was like that when I was in North Korea.
There are soldiers who fight separately.
Those soldiers are not that weak.
And when you look at the soldiers, and when you look at the military equipment, I don’t think they are that pathetic.
And the same goes for nuclear weapons.
Some people in South Korea say that they can make nuclear missiles in a second.
But the US can’t.
They can make it in a second.
But how do you know if the nuclear missiles will fly or not?
And North Korea has conducted many nuclear tests.
But they can’t ignore the experience.
They can’t ignore the experience.
They can’t do it even if there is a war.
No, they can’t do it even if there is a war.
If there is a war again, it’s a big problem.
It’s a risk that can be a third world war.
So, they can’t do it even if there is a war.
But if you look at it from a virtual perspective, you can’t ignore North Korea’s military power.
But I don’t know English.
I’m not good at it.
I’m not good at it.
So, to be honest, if I were to talk about this in a few hours, I would have to cut it short and focus on it.
So, I want to tell you specifically about North Korea where there is a lot of corruption.
North Korea is the one that is blocked all over the world.
To let you know about North Korea, I would like to tell you about North Korea who defected from North Korea through the North Korean news or channels.
You can find out about North Korea through these channels.
So, I’ve been wanting to make a channel in English since last year.
But it hasn’t been long since I came here.
And there is a small problem.
So, I can’t do it now.
I hope there will be people who can help with English subtitles after watching this video.
I hope there will be people who can help with English subtitles after watching this video.
Time will pass and we will forget about it.
So, I’ve written down all the information.
I hope people who are free will pay attention to North Korea where there is no freedom.
I hope you can see North Korea where there is duality.
That’s my hope.
Have you ever missed North Korea?
Yes, I have.
I’ve lived in North Korea for 30 years.
Some people say that North Korea is bad.
But I’ve missed North Korea.
What do you miss the most?
I miss the simple life.
I miss my mother’s cooking.
I miss my mother the most.
Is there a reason why you haven’t contacted her yet?
The timing is not right. The fact that I came to South Korea through the Yellow Sea was apparently announced to North Korea citizens. That I was an official who escaped to South Korea became public knowledge.
So I think my family is being monitored. Even the messenger could be arrested.
Even the name you are using right now is an alias.
Yes, that’s correct. But it’s not like my family will be harmed or anything. So I didn’t want to hide. Nor are there any benefits in me keeping silent about North Korea.
Seems like there are many things you’ll be doing in the future. Do you have any concerns about your personal safety?
I’m not that afraid. I don’t think North Korea will use their valuable resources to try and capture someone like me. Even if something like that were to happen to me? If my life were threatened? I will gladly accept it.
Of course, we are also a news media. But we couldn’t care less about politics, nor do we have an agenda to villfy North Korea.
I just hope that our authenticity and sincerity come across to our viewers.