When I was little, I thought my country was the best on the planet. And I grew up singing a song called "Nothing To Envy." And I was very proud. In school, we spent a lot of time studying the history of Kim Il-Sung, but we never learned much about the outside world, except that America, South Korea, Japan are the enemies. Although I often wondered about the outside world, I thought I would spend my entire life in North Korea, until everything suddenly changed.
Kada sam bila mala, mislila sam da je moja zemlja najbolja na planeti, i odrasla sam pjevajući pjesmu koja se zove "Ništa za zavidjeti". I bila sam vrlo ponosna. U školi smo proveli mnogo vremena učeći povijest o Kim II-Sung-u, ali nikada nismo naučili puno o vanjskome svijetu, osim da su Amerika, Južna Koreja i Japan neprijatelji. Iako sam se često zapitala o vanjskome svijetu, mislila sam da ću cijeli život provesti u Sjevernoj Korei, dok se odjednom nije sve promijenilo.
When I was seven years old, I saw my first public execution. But I thought my life in North Korea was normal. My family was not poor, and myself, I had never experienced hunger.
Kada sam imala sedam godina, vidjela sam svoje prvo javno smaknuće, ali mislila sam da je moj život u Sjevernoj Koreji bio normalan. Moja obitelj nije bila siromašna, a ja, ja nikada nisam iskusila što je to glad.
But one day, in 1995, my mom brought home a letter from a coworker's sister. It read, "When you read this, our five family members will not exist in this world, because we haven't eaten for the past three weeks. We are lying on the floor together, and our bodies are so weak, we are waiting to die."
Ali jednoga dana, 1995. godine, majka mi je donijela doma pismo od suradnikove sestre. Pisalo je, "Dok čitaš ovo, svih pet članova obitelji neće postojati na ovome svijetu, jer nismo jeli ništa zadnja dva tjedna. Ležimo zajedno na podu, i naša tijela su toliko slaba da smo spremni umrijeti."
I was so shocked. This was the first time I heard that people in my country were suffering. Soon after, when I was walking past a train station, I saw something terrible that to this day I can't erase from my memory. A lifeless woman was lying on the ground, while an emaciated child in her arms just stared helplessly at his mother's face. But nobody helped them, because they were so focused on taking care of themselves and their families.
Bila sam šokirana. Ovo je bio prvi put da čujem da ljudi u mojoj zemlji pate. Ubrzo nakon toga, kada sam hodala pored željezničke stanice, vidjela sam nešto strašno što ne mogu izbrisati iz svoje glave. Beživotno tijelo žene je ležalo na podu, dok je mršavo dijete u njezinim rukama samo gledalo bespomoćno u lice svoje majke. Ali niko im nije pomogao, jer su svi bili toliko fokusirani na brigu o sebi i svojim obiteljima.
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 by eating grass, bugs and tree bark. Power outages also became more and more frequent, so everything around me was completely dark at night, except for the sea of lights in China, just across the river from my home. I always wondered why they had lights, but we didn't. This is a satellite picture showing North Korea at night, compared to neighbors.
Ogromna glad je pogodila Sjevernu Koreju sredinom 1990.-ih. Na poslijetku, više od milijun Sjeverno Korejaca umrlo je tijekom gladi, a mnogi su prežvjeli jedino hraneći se travom, kukcima i korom stabala. Nestanci struje postali su sve češći i češći, tako da je sve oko mene bilo potpuni mrak osim mora svjetla u Kini preko puta rijeke od moje kuće. Uvijek sam se pitala zašto su oni imali svjetla a mi ne. Ovo je satelitska slika koja prikazuje Sjevernu Koreju noću uspoređena sa susjedima.
This is the Amnok River, which serves as a part of the border between North Korea and China. As you can see, the river can be very narrow at certain points, allowing North Koreans to secretly cross. But many die. Sometimes, I saw dead bodies floating down the river. I can't reveal many details about how I left North Korea, but I only can say that during the ugly years of the famine, I was sent to China to live with distant relatives. But I only thought that I would be separated from my family for a short time. I could have never imagined that it would take 14 years to live together.
Ovo je Amrok rijeka, koja služi kao dio granice između Sjeverne Koreje i Kine. Kao što možete vidjeti, rijeka može biti vrlo uska na određenim mjestima, dopuštajući Sjeverno Koreancima da tajno prijeđu. Ali mnogi su poginuli. Ponekad vidim mrtva tijela kako plutaju niz rijeku. Ne mogu otkriti puno detalja kako sam napustila Sjevernu Koreju, ali jedino što mogu reći je da sam tijekom ružnih godina gladi poslana u Kinu živjeti kod dalekih rođaka. Ali mislila sam da ću biti odvojena od svoje obitelji samo na kratko vrijeme. Nisam mogla zamisliti da će se to odužiti na 14 godina.
In China, it was hard living as a young girl without my family. I had no idea what life was going to be like as a North Korean refugee. But I soon learned it's not only extremely difficult, it's also very dangerous, since North Korean refugees are considered in China as illegal migrants. So I was living in constant fear that my identity could be revealed, and I would be repatriated to a horrible fate, back in North Korea.
U Kini mi je bilo teško živjeti kao djevojčici bez obitelji. Nisam znala kako će izgledati život kao Sjeverno Kreanskoj izbjeglici ali ubrzo sam naučila da to nije samo jako teško, već je i vrlo opasno, otkad su Sjeverno Koreanske izbjeglice otkrivene u Kini kao ilegalni migranti. I tako sam živjela u stalnom strahu da će moj identitet biti otkriven, i da ću biti vraćena groznoj sudbini natrag u Sjevernu Koreju.
One day, my worst nightmare came true, when I was caught by the Chinese police, and brought to the police station for interrogation. Someone had accused me of being North Korean, so they tested my Chinese language abilities, and asked me tons of questions. I was so scared. I thought my heart was going to explode. If anything seemed unnatural, I could be imprisoned and repatriated. I thought my life was over. But I managed to control all the emotions inside me, and answer the questions. After they finished questioning me, one official said to another, "This was a false report. She's not North Korean." And they let me go. It was a miracle.
Jednoga dana moja se najgora noćna mora ostvarila, kada sam bila uhvaćena od strane Kineske policije i dovedena u policijsku postaju na ispitivanje. Netko me optužio da sam Sjeverno Koreanka, pa su testirali moje Kineske jezične sposobnosti i ispitali me puno pitanja. Bila sam toliko uplašena, mislila sam da će mi srce eksplodirati. Ako se bilo što učini neprirodnim, mogla bih biti zatvorena i vraćena. Mislila sam da je moj život gotov, ali uspjela sam kontrolirati svoje emocije unutar sebe i odgovarati na pitanja. Nakon završetka ispitivanja, jedan službenik je rekao drugome "Ovo je bila lažna prijava. Ona nije Sjeverno Koreanka." I pustili su me. To je bilo čudo.
Some North Koreans in China seek asylum in foreign embassies. But many can be caught by the Chinese police, and repatriated. These girls were so lucky. Even though they were caught, they were eventually released, after heavy international pressure. These North Koreans were not so lucky. Every year, countless North Koreans are caught in China and repatriated to North Korea, where they can be tortured, imprisoned, or publicly executed.
Neki Sjeverno Koreanci u Kini traže azil u stranim ambasadama ali mnogi mogu biti uhvaćeni od strane Kineske policije i vraćeni. Ove djevojke su bile jako sretne. Iako su uhvaćene, na kraju su bili puštene nakon teškog međunarodnog pritiska. Ovi Sjeverno Koreanci nisu nemaju toliko sreće. Svake godine, bezbroj Sjeverno Koreanaca je uhvaćeno u Kini i vraćeno u Sjevernu Koreju, gdje mogu biti izloženi mučenjima, zatvoreni
Even though I was really fortunate to get out, many other North Koreans have not been so lucky. It's tragic that North Koreans have to hide their identities and struggle so hard just to survive. Even after learning a new language and getting a job, their whole world can be turned upside down in an instant. That's why, after 10 years of hiding my identity, I decided to risk going to South Korea. And I started a new life yet again.
ili javno pogubljeni. Iako sam bila jako sretna što sam se izvukla, mnogo drugih Sjeverno Koreanaca nije imalo toliko sreće. Tragično je što Sjeverno Koreanci moraju skrivati svoj identitet i toliko se boriti samo kako bi preživjeli. Iako nakon učenja novog jezika i dobitka novog posla, njihov se cijeli život može preokrenuti u trenu. Zbog toga, nakon 10 godina skrivanja svog identiteta, odlučila sam riskirati odlaskom u Južnu Koreju, i započela sam ponovo nov život.
Settling down in South Korea was a lot more challenging than I had expected. English was so important in South Korea, so I had to start learning my third language. Also, I realized there was a wide gap between North and South. We are all Korean, but inside, we have become very different, due to 67 years of division. I even went through an identity crisis. Am I South Korean or North Korean? Where am I from? Who am I? Suddenly, there was no country I could proudly call my own.
Smještanje u Južnu Koreju bilo je veći izazov nego što sam očekivala. Engleski je vrlo bitan u Južnojj Koreji, pa sam počela učiti treći jezik. Također sam shvatila da postoji veliki jaz između Sjevera i Juga. Svi smo mi Koreanci, ali iznutra, postali smo vrlo različiti zbog 67 godina podijele. Čak sam prošla kroz krizu identiteta. Jesam li ja Sjeverno ili Južno Koreanka? Odakle sam ja? Tko sam ja? Odjednom, više nije bilo zemlje koju bih ponosno mogla zvati svojom.
Even though adjusting to life in South Korea was not easy, I made a plan -- I started studying for the university entrance exam.
Iako prilagodba na život u Južnoj Koreji nije bila lagana, napravila sam plan. Počela sam studirati za prijemni ispit.
Just as I was starting to get used to my new life, I received a shocking phone call. The North Korean authorities intercepted some money that I sent to my family, and, as a punishment, my family was going to be forcibly removed to a desolate location in the countryside. They had to get out quickly. So I started planning how to help them escape.
Samo kako sam počela s novim živom, primila sam šokirajući telefonski poziv. Sjeverno Koreanske vlasti prepriječile su nešto novaca koje sam poslala svojoj obitelji, i, kao kazna, moja obitelj je bila prisiljena preseliti se na opustošeno mjesto na selu. Morali su otići brzo, pa sam planirala novi plan kako im pomoći da pobjegnu.
North Koreans have to travel incredible distances on the path to freedom. It's almost impossible to cross the border between North Korea and South Korea. So, ironically, I took a flight back to China and headed toward the North Korean border. Since my family couldn't speak Chinese, I had to guide them somehow through more than 2,000 miles in China, and then into Southeast Asia. The journey by bus took one week, and we were almost caught several times. One time, our bus was stopped and boarded by a Chinese police officer. He took everyone's I.D. cards, and he started asking them questions. Since my family couldn't understand Chinese, I thought my family was going to be arrested. As the Chinese officer approached my family, I impulsively stood up, and I told him that these are deaf and dumb people that I was chaperoning. He looked at me suspiciously, but luckily, he believed me.
Sjeverno Koreanci moraju proputovati nevjerojatne udaljenosti na putu do slobode. Gotovo je nemoguće prijeći granicu između Sjeverne i Južne Koreje, pa, ironično, uzela sam let natrag za Kinu i krenula sam prema Sjeverno Koreanskoj granici. Kako moja obitelj ne govori Kineski, morala sam ih učiti, nekako, kroz više od 2 000 milja u Kini i onda u Sjevernoj Aziji. Putovanje busom trajalo je tjedan dana, i nekoliko puta smo gotovo bili uhvaćeni. Jednom, naš je bus bio zaustavljen i ušao je kineski policijski službenik. Uzeo je od svakoga osobnu kartu, i započeo s ispitivanjem. Kako moja obitelj nije mogla razumjeti Kineski, mislila sam da će biti uhićeni. Kako se službenik približavao mojoj obitelji, impulzivno sam ustala i rekla mu da su ovo gluhi i nijemi ljudi koje sam ja vodila. Pogledao me sumnjivo, ali na sreću povjerovao mi je.
We made it all the way to the border of Laos. But I had to spend almost all my money to bribe the border guards in Laos. But even after we got past the border, my family was arrested and jailed for illegal border crossing. After I paid the fine and bribe, my family was released in one month. But soon after, my family was arrested and jailed again, in the capital of Laos.
Uspjeli smo doći do granice Laos, ali morala sam potroštiti gotovo sav novac kako bih potkupila čuvare na granici u Laosu. Iako smo uspjeli proći granicu, moja je obitelj bila uhićena i zatvorena zbog ilegalnog prijelaska granice. Nakon što sam platitla globu i mito, moja je obitelj bila oslobođena nakon mjesec dana, ali ubrzo nakon toga ponovo su bili uhićeni i zatvoreni u glavnom gradu Laosa.
This was one of the lowest points in my life. I did everything to get my family to freedom, and we came so close, but my family was thrown in jail, just a short distance from the South Korean embassy. I went back and forth between the immigration office and the police station, desperately trying to get my family out. but I didn't have enough money to pay a bribe or fine anymore. I lost all hope.
To je bila jedna od mojih najtežih točaka u životu. Učinila sam sve kako bih oslobodila obitelj, i došli smo tako blizu, ali moja je obitelj bila bačena u zatvor samo malo udaljen od Južno Korejske ambasade. Išla sam naprijed nazad između ureda za imigracije i policijske postaje, očajnički pokušavajući izvući svoju obitelj, ali nisam više imala dovoljno novaca kako bih platila globu ili mito. Izgubila sam svu nadu.
At that moment, I heard one man's voice ask me, "What's wrong?" I was so surprised that a total stranger cared enough to ask. In my broken English, and with a dictionary, I explained the situation, and without hesitating, the man went to the ATM, and he paid the rest of the money for my family, and two other North Koreans to get out of jail.
Na trenutak, čula sam kako me muški glas pita "U čemu je problem?" Bila sam iznenađena kako je totalnom strancu stalo pitati. Sa svojim lošim engleskim i sa rječnikom, objasnila sam situaciju, i bez oklijevanja, muškarac je otišao na bankomat i platio ostatak novaca za moju obitelj i dvoje ostalih Sjeverno Koreanaca kako bi izašli iz zatvora.
I thanked him with all my heart, and I asked him, "Why are you helping me?"
Zahvalila sam mu svim srcem, i onda sam ga upitala, "Zašto mi pomažeš?"
"I'm not helping you," he said. "I'm helping the North Korean people."
"Ne pomažem ti", rekao je. "Pomažem ljudima iz Sjeverne Koreje".
I realized that this was a symbolic moment in my life. The kind stranger symbolized new hope for me and the North Korean people, when we needed it most. And he showed me that the kindness of strangers and the support of the international community are truly the rays of hope we North Korean people need.
Shvatila sam da je to bio značajan trenutak u mom životu. Ljubazan stranac je simbolizirao nadu za mene i ljude iz Sjeverne Koreje kada smo je trebali najviše, i pokazao mi je da dobrota stranca i potpora međunarodne zajednice su uistinu zrake nade koje mi, ljudi iz Sjeverne Koreje trebamo.
Eventually, after our long journey, my family and I were reunited in South Korea. But getting to freedom is only half the battle. Many North Koreans are separated from their families, and when they arrive in a new country, they start with little or no money. So we can benefit from the international community for education, English language training, job training, and more. We can also act as a bridge between the people inside North Korea and the outside world. Because many of us stay in contact with family members still inside, and we send information and money that is helping to change North Korea from inside.
Na kraju, nakon našeg dugog putovanja, moja obitelj i ja sastali smo se u Južnoj Koreji., ali doći do slobode je samo polovica bitke. Mnogo Sjeverno Koranaca su odvojeni od svojih obitelji, i kada stignu u novu zemlju, započinju s malo ili bez novaca. Tako možemo imati koristi od međunarodne zajednice za obrazovanje, učenje engleskog jezika, osposobljavanja za posao i ostalo. Možemo također djelovati kao most između ljudi unutar Sjeverne Koreje i vanjskog svijeta, jer mnogi od nas ostaju u kontaktu sa članovima obitelji koji su još tamo,, i šaljemo informacije i novac koji pomažu promijeniti Sjevernu Koreu iznutra.
I've been so lucky, received so much help and inspiration in my life, so I want to help give aspiring North Koreans a chance to prosper with international support. I'm confident that you will see more and more North Koreans succeeding all over the world, including the TED stage.
Ja sam imala toliko sreće, primila sam toliko puno pomoći i inspiracije u svom životu, pa želim pomoći Sjeverno Koreancima koji to žele šansu za napredovanje sa međunarodnom potporom. Uvjerena sam da ćete vidjeti više i više Sjeverno Koreanaca kako uspjevaju u cijelom svijetu, uključujući TED pozornicu.
Thank you.
Hvala Vam.
(Applause)
(Pljesak)