North Korea News Podcast by NK News - Jihyun Park: A woman’s journey from North Korea to British politics

Episode Date: October 10, 2024

Jihyun Park escaped from North Korea, not once but twice. Now a politician and activist in the U.K., Park joins the podcast to share her story of how she escaped and why she decided to settle in Britain rather than South Korea.  She also talks about the need to include escapees in public discussions about […]

Explore the unofficial world of DPRK-inspired apparel at NK News Shop. Dive into a captivating collection of North Korea-themed t-shirts, hoodies and more at the NK News Shop. From the popular Daedonggang beer t-shirts to the adventurous air-cordior designs, each and Support independent journalism with every purchase. Explore our range today at shop.nknews.org. That's shop.nknews.org. Hello listeners and welcome to the NK News podcast. I'm your host, Jaco Zwetsloot, and this episode was recorded via StreamYard on Monday, the 9th of September, 2024. And joining me via StreamYard from her home in the United Kingdom is Jihyun Park. She is an author, an activist, and a campaigner for North Korean human rights based in the United Kingdom. She works to raise awareness of the human rights

abuses in North Korea, including forced labor, arbitrary detention, and torture. She has a book that you can find called The Hard Road Out, One Woman's Escape from North Korea. And you can find her on Twitter where she is active at Jihyun Park 7. And we'll include a link to that in the show notes. Welcome on the show, Jihyun. Thank you so much for inviting me. So I thought today we would talk a little bit about the Global Korea Forum that happened in Seoul last week, and then talk about your life in North Korea and how you got out of North Korea to the United Kingdom, and then about human rights, activism, and then finally

about your new career in British politics. So let's start with the Global Korea Forum. What did you think about the Global Career Forum? The 2020 Global Career Forum, like previous forums, aimed to address important global issues. But not only this year, every year it seems to have missed the mark of many attendees. The key issues though wasn't necessarily the lack of female panelists, but rather the forums limited understanding of complex global issues,

especially concerning the Korean Peninsula. So it is apparent that many of the discussions were framed through the lens of academics and elites focusing on topics like Korean unification without fully grasping the deeper underlying challenges. So in particularly the political ideology of North Korea, which has sustained a dictatorship for over 70 years, was not adequately addressed. While diplomatic and politics are central to any unification discourse, the forum lacked insight into why the regime has maintained its grip on power for so long.

So one glaring issue was the speculative discussions about the potential collapse of the Kim Jong-un legion within the next three years, as if unification was imminent. So this sort of discourse is not only detached from reality but also reflective of outdated unification narratives that fail to consider the complexities to today's geopolitical landscape. So I found the forums approaching disappointing as it seems to rehash other ideas rather than other fresh, insightful perspectives on the path forward. So you know, the greater ones said that life does not speed, it is a direction. So global problem let us know the thinking not only remained as problems, but finished

the problem. We didn't know what we are thinking and what is kind of keywords give to us, remained it. So that is really disappointed in my view. I see. So there were, of course, a lot of criticism here in South Korea in the media and on social media about the lack of women involved. But you're actually focusing more on the content itself, and you're saying that the forum lacked insights and analysis. I'm curious, I did not go to the Global Korea Forum myself, but I know that many of the speakers there have been analyzing and observing North Korea,

not just for a few years, but some of them for decades. Why do you think it is that they miss the point about North Korea? How is that possible to study North Korea so deeply for so long, but to miss the point? The reason that many academics and politicians do not focus on North Korea politics is especially Juche ideology and the 10th amendment. How this is politics, this ideology controlled, not only North Koreans, they also control the South Koreans too. But it's a politics academics never think about that. They only mention that nuclear weapons or diplomatic issues or regime is example is Kim Jong-un is healthy problems, so he can't survive the next three years.

That is not his issues, his unification issues. And also unification is not only political issues, that is human issues. You know that for myself, I'm also a politician too. But when I think about the unification, that is not a political issue. That is a human issue. But South Korea always talked about the unification. They without the North Korean people and also South Korean people, they only talked about that is politics. That is a problem. It's a global problem. It's a problem issue. It's always politics. So that's why many Korean people not interested in these problems.

Wait, so let me understand, help me to understand it. Are you saying that the forum has too much politics or not enough politics? Too much politics. Okay, but didn't you also say, maybe I misunderstood, didn't you say that academics at the forum do not understand North Korean politics? Yes, yes. You know, when they always think about academics and politicians, they think about North Korea as a normal country, but North Korea is not a normal country. They have totalitarian dictatorship over 70 years. You know, Russia, the communist countries collapsed in 1992, and China also

communist countries controlled until the end of 1980s, but they opened economics. So people are free, there is an economic market inside China or something. But North Korea, they never, they different is that ideology and the politics in Russia and China. So we have to understand that that is a comment, why does it's different? We have to understand the first this one, but it's in many academics and the politics, they share it is a different view

and the different history issues. academics and politics, they share a different view and different history issues. And so most issues that they not to listen to our voice first because we are survivor and we are witness in this country. So we know, I know that we are not got some great qualifications or something that we are not graduated from university, but experience better than academic paper words. It's experience is really important, but many academics not listen to our voice first. So that is a problem. Okay, so let's talk about representation of North Korean people more generally in public

discussion about North Korea. First of all, let's talk just about in South Korean domestic discussion. So in domestic politics, in domestic media, do you think that North Koreans have sufficient voice? I think it is still not because I know it's now in South Korea more than 35,000 North Korean escapees lives in South Korea, but still we divide it is a different classics, you know, the elite groups, middle groups, and normal is the citizens groups in North Korean escapees. So in media or academics and the politics, they only interested in the elitist voice. I know that the elitist voice also important

they know more than to us about inside the North Korea politics systems and the diplomatic systems, but they not too much understand the North Korean people lives because in North Korea divided two different ways one is a Pyongyang side and the one is normal a citizens side So Pyongyang citizens, they don't understand this normal people life. So, you know the Pyongyang cities are only 20,000 people lives in Pyongyang city and among 20 million people live outside Pyongyang. So which one is better?

Understand which one is real life in North Korea? So is it the media and the newspapers? They're not too much interesting about the real North Koreans' citizens' life. They're only interested in the elites or who is background is better than normal citizens or something like that. So they divided all North Korean people. So nowadays it could be many people is better than, you know, in South Korea, 35 North Korean refugees. Some people have learned different skills and histories, better than the elites or better than other people, but they never care about such issues. Do you think that North Korean refugees living in South Korea are able to participate in decisions that are made about their own future? I think that is unfortunately, you know, the North Koreans, whether escapees or those still

living under the regime have a very limited ability to participate in decision about their own future. I think because it's inside North Korea, there is particularly true that still in North Korea, the regime controls every aspect of life and suppresses any from dissent independent dogs. So in North Korea side, they always control the independent life and thinking everything. So inside the North Korean people, they not too much think about that the poll is in futures life, but they only think about the nowadays, this moment in life. Yeah. And in South Korea, it's a situation is so much better than in North Korea,

but still, you know, the significant barrier when it comes to participating in decisions about the future. Example is language barrier, economic barrier, and they don't understand much more about the capitalism systems. So that is a barrier still concerning their life at the moment. So we have to cut off this barrier, but still this society, how do they cut off this barrier and teach them something? This is a problem at the moment. What about in international settings, where usually, but not always, English is the language of sort of international forums and places like that.

Do North Korean voices have enough chance to speak there? No, yet. You know, there's examples of 2018 when I visited Hague, you know, in the dead land, international criminal court, I shared about North Korea issues. They have many diplomatics attending this event. Most diplomatics didn't know what happened in North Korea. So I was shocking and then I just posted my words in my Facebook. It said why our voices are still not good or something. So some North Korean people argued to me because we shared lots of issues last 20 years.

Why they didn't know that? So that is the problem. They shared only Korean languages. Korean language. But it's all over the world. They listened only English. They're not reading or listen to the Koreans. Yeah. So this is my experience. So I just still think about that our voices are still lack of internationally. So that's why North Korea last 70 years, they just did criminal issues. So I can't mention that it's a Korean war or something. So it's a big issue. You know, there is the famine in 1990s.

That is not the famine. That is genocide in happening in North Korea. But this world is still not understand these issues. They only talked about the starvation of, that is could be South Africa or some countries that they are happening these issues. Or some people say that, oh, when 1960s, we also hunger. So they only think about the same issues in history

or when they may hunger or something that. They never think about that same issues in history or when they were hungry or something. They never think about that there are massive killings happening in North Korea, genocide happenings. So that is my perspective. And also, we usually speak about China's cultural revolution issues in the 1960s when there were in China. But this cultural revolution started in North Korea first. In 1956, when Kim Il-sung published that anti-revolution issues, and then they collected every

Soviet Union books or Westerners books, everything they just is fired. And then they started it's a Juche ideology. So that is happening to North Korea first, but it's many countries, world they did understand that they only knew that is, oh, cultural revolution is started to China, but not to start at China, it It started in North Korea first. So

that is all history, but many North Koreans, we are just lack of voices, especially not to speak English. So we cannot share these issues in this world. Right. I want to talk about your life in North Korea and your journey out of North Korea. How and why did you decide to leave North Korea the first time? So I was a really political person. Yeah, because my father was a work party member and my father was really proud of his life. So every month he wrote about his party, his cart in his life. So every month he bought his party card in his belly. And you know there's a red card in his belly because he said every month they

paid his party fee and also they have got some events in the company. So I just really envy to my father. So my dream was, when I was growing up, I also joined the work parties. You wanted to join the Korean Workers Party. Yes, yeah. So that is my child dream. And then when I graduated university, I started my school work. So I was really proud of myself. And you know, I was really proud of my legion, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, because I was a brainwashed child. And I learned about that socialism is nothing to envy. And socialism is a great country. So in North Korea, it's not only great country, it's a great country in our world. The greatest in the world. Yeah. Yes.

Yes. So I was really proud. I was born in socialism country. So that's time I didn't understand what is socialism, what capitalism, what is communism, you know, I didn't understand this ideology meanings, what is capitalism, what is communism. I didn't understand the ideology meanings, the democratic meanings. I never understood. And also, I didn't understand my country's name, which is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. That is English. I didn't know that. So I didn't understand much more about the democratic meaning.

I was proud, but in 1990s started this massive killing happening in North Korea. We call it massive famine. My uncle died of starvation in front of me, and I saw my student died of starvation in street and every day I heard my neighbors who died of starvation. But at this moment we never mentioned that people died of starvation. We only said that people died of illness. People died of illness? Yes, illness. We never mentioned that it's starvation. Because North Korea mentioned that socialism, no one died of starvation. Because we are nothing to envy country. Capitalism is many bigger and hunger people. They lived in street streets, but the socialists never lived in the streets. But we all were street people and often separated families. But that issue, that time, did not affect me too much. I escaped North Korea because I continued to believe that it was a regime.

Korea because I continued to believe that it's a legion. But one day in 1997 when my younger brother came home because he was serving the military at the moment, but he came home and he had problems. The reason is that he was his five members. They have got groups, it's kind of business groups, and they earned the money, earned this loyalty money, but once, but North Korea economics all collapsed down, so their business was veiled, and they didn't pay this loyalty money to government. So this is problems, big political problems in North Korea. So that's why the five members all ran out. So my younger brothers too ran out. But first he came to home, he told us he was on vacation. But usually in

North Korea, military started vacation, they not alone come to home. It's two or one soldier soldiers is at the with them because it's a data she's looking for what do they do in their hometown or something that they just is controlled alive but that's time so my younger brother I don't come to home so I talked about that oh that is a limited food and the lack of food in a country so that's why not to follow the other soldiers. I was talking about that is only easy simply, but two days after two soldiers came to my house and then they just started searching my younger brother

in my house, in my areas, all is my town. Then we understood that there were problems with my brother. So then one day they caught my brother and they already beat him to death. So I was shocked. They beat your brother almost to death? Yes, it was all blood, almost to death. So then my brother went with his soldiers and went to his military. But the day after he escaped again because he escaped in train on the train. So train is you know the electric is gone

and the day usually stopped. It's one day or two days we didn't know and also train is no window. So my younger brother escaped again because he knew that he if he went to the his groups and then he just his executions. So that's why he escaped again. So then my father understood quickly understood and then my father told me that you have to leave this country and save your brother. But that time my father's condition was really bad. He was hemorrhaged and he couldn't move. So I waited for my father's condition. If my father's condition is better, I want to live with him. But my father's condition is worse and worse. And then he couldn't speak.

He couldn't open his eyes. But he only used his breath. He couldn't death. He couldn't death. So nowadays I talked about that. My father waited to us to leave this country. So that is the first reason I left North Korea. I wanted to save my younger brother because that was my father's last wish. So I still don't know when my father passed away and the way he was growing up is the graves. So you know, the next month, next week is on Monday is South Korea's Chuseok.

So, yeah, so I'm really missing my father. So that is my unification issues. You know, the one day I wanted to go to North Korea. I want to found my father's grave and give to them to say, I want to bring that alcohol to my father's grave. And that is the reason. You want to do the ceremony, the ancestor ceremony at your father's grave. So in 1998, you crossed over from North Korea into China, and I'm going to fast forward

a little bit here because people can read your book to hear the full story. That book, once again, is called The Hard Road Out. In 1998, you crossed into China. You were sold to a Chinese farmer with whom you had a son. And then at some point, you were discovered and arrested and returned from China to North Korea. And amazingly, you managed to escape again. So you've actually left North Korea two

times. In China again you found your son and you made the journey through Mongolia across the Gobi Desert. Now that's a very unusual and rare route because a lot of these days most refugees from North Korea escape all the way through China to Southeast Asia, and then finally they come to South Korea. Why and how did you go through Mongolia across the Gobi Desert? Yeah, it's me and my son wanted to go to South Korea. You know, I've got this information from Chinese prison in Tumen prisons. You know, when I arrested in China and I went to the Tumen prison, and I met many North Koreans in prisons. When I arrested in China and I went to the two men prison and I met many North Koreans in prisons. So they shared different ideology how did they started this journey to South Korea.

So they have got lots of information that I've got in prisons. So first time is I I wanted to go South Korea because it's the you know in China Before in 1998 when I arrived in China, I didn't know that is a South Korea issues You know, I still talked about that is South Korea's my enemy South Korea's American colony and they also full country but when I arrived in China, you know, many people they go to South Korea and earn the money and they come back to China and they build a new house and they just rich people, life is rich. So I thought about that. China, they had lots of food, but But why they earned money in South Korea first? It was my question because South Korea is American colony. They just a poor country

How do they earn the money? But after they shared more information how South Korea is growing up and how South Korea is beautiful or something that But that's the only I just heard from them. So first time I didn't, it's true to the much more about the Chinese people say something like that. But in prison, it's North Koreans, they sharing the different issues, the South Korea issues.

So I believe that South Korea is rich country or great country. So that's why I wanted to that South Korea is a rich country or a great country. So that's why I wanted to go to South Korea, but my journey was failed everywhere. First, I went to the Qingdao and they have the South Korea constitution. So when I found out... Yeah, yes. But South Korea, they just is a pulp floor. Yet not to use the house is his apartment. It says

pulp floor is South Koreans constitutions. So I can't enter the is a post pro because we have to go elevate the post. But before is the Chinese police to check our passport or ID card or something that but I have no our passport or ID card or something like that. But I had no passport or no ID card because I was a stateless person. So then I went to the Beijing and in Beijing is it, I know that is a big South Korea embassy, but also same in front of the South is Chinese police. They check the same thing. So I contacted into South Korea, is embassy, you know, the hour I wanted to go South Korea, please help me. And they said that

you have to come to inside first. Yes. So, so I was really angry. How can I into there? Yeah. Sometimes I didn't understand this embassy meanings outside embassy or inside embassy. This means I didn't understand. So I was really angry. And then we met another North Koreans in front of the embassy because they also wanted to go South Korea. But they also same situation that they can't into them. So then one person mentioned that we went to go Mongolia. So that is our ideas, not my ideas. That is people ideas. So then we went to the Inner Mongolia first, is the Bible. And then we arrived there.

And we saw that is a Chinese border and Mongolia border. Yes, so that's why we went to Mongolia. But Mongolia was, we failed our journeys. The reason is that we didn't know, we have no, it's a block or something that. So nobody know that it's a Mongolia journey. And we didn't know where is the Ulaanbaatar, where is the South Korean embassy. And we didn't speak any Mongolia journey and we didn't know where is the Ulaanbaatar, where is the South Korean embassy and we didn't speak any Mongolia or something that's yeah so we arrived in Mongolia

is border areas so it was a desert you know it's my personal experience in desert my my opinion is that desert meaning is white sand or something. It's kind of beautifully. But this Mongolian desert is not beautiful, you know, cold, no trees or something like that. So then people said that if we lost ways, we could be went to Russia because it's a border and the Russian-Chinese borders near there. So we were really scared. So we couldn't move three days these places. Then our food is gone, water is gone, cold, you know. So we came back China again. Came back China and then 2007 I met American Korean pastor and he said that in 2008, the Beijing Olympics happened. So now the Chinese government started to search out illegal people who live in China, especially North Koreans too. So if you need my help, I want to help you into the United

Nations. So I have to, that is my choice. It could be last chance or something. So I just said, yes, I need your help. But at the time, you know, I didn't understand the United Nations meanings. I thought about the United Nations or some of the broker groups or something like that. But when I went to the first time, I had one chance, it was a choice. The United Nations asked us, which country do you want to go? This was the United Nations refugee office in Mongolia? No, in China.

No, in China. Oh, in China, okay. Yes, until 2012, this office is in China, but after it disappeared. So that's why they give us a chance. First time, my choice, I want to choose Europe, is England. So why did you decide to go to England rather than South Korea? How did that happen? The reason is that first, if I understood what the meaning of the United Nations, I could choose South Korea. But I didn't understand the United Nations' pastimes' meanings.

Because in North Korea, they never mentioned the United Nations, or Chinese people also didn't know United Nations meanings. So my view is also United Nations kind of broker. So then, you know, my experience when I arrested in China and went to North Korea, in North Korea, security police asked us three questions. So first question was, do you visit church? Or do you meet the Christians? And also third one is that they journey to South Korea, but they failed and send back to North Korea. So we totally eye-to-to witness the experience

that these people send to political prisons. That is my eyewitness and my body experience. Everything is security prison camp. So I was really scared. That time, not only me, it's my son and my husband. I met him during Mongolia journeys, from South Korea, Beijing to Mongolia,

I met my husband in this journey. So now, that time we had family, not individuals. So if I choose South Korea or something that we failed, it's families, all families, to these executions. So that's why I just simply talked about that. If I choose England and then failed after I was arrested in some way and then repatriated to North Korea, these issues could be less than South or America journey.

I just only know simply because England is not enemy in North Korea. Right, so you chose England because you thought it was less danger, the journey was less dangerous and less difficult than going to South Korea. And now you've lived in England for several years. You are one of the few North Korean refugees who didn't come to South Korea. You went straight to England. And I want to talk about your human rights activism. How did you become involved in activism for North Korean human rights? I arrived in the UK in 2008.

So I never talked about that I became a human rights activist because it's human rights, women's rights, children's rights, or universal decretion issues. that is from North Korea or in China. And also in the UK, I didn't speak English, so I didn't understand everything that. But one question has changed my life. This question is not somebody. That is questions from my son, you know, my son. So he asked me that, mommy, that is five years old memories when he was when he was five years old I repeated to North Korea and he alone in China

So he said that is that is five years old memory. Why did you abandon me and the lady? so when I hold this question I So when I heard this question, I didn't say directly, I didn't abandon you. I didn't say, I just cried. Because I never talked about that. I only talked about that I was victim. I was really painful person because I was lost to my family. I was human trafficking, repatriated to North Korea, stayed in prison. So I was just only victims. I only talked about that. That is kind of nowadays I would talk about that. I was really was really selfish. But when I heard these questions, I just cried and then questioned for myself, why my sons talked about these questions? Why many North Korean mothers heard about these questions?

Mothers never abandoned our child. Mothers never left them. Mothers always loved my child. But many North Koreans choose, they think about the same questions. This is not only my son's question. So this question has changed my life. Nobody asked me, you have started, you have speak about the North Korean human rights. No one is controlled my this human rights issues. So then I just reflected my life in North Korea and then United Kingdom's life. It's totally, it's the hell and heaven, different life.

And then I just talked about that many voiceless people, voiceless people, especially my son, they need somebody voice and telling our stories. You're giving a voice to the voiceless people. Yes, now what kind of activities do you do to promote human rights in North Korea? I usually speak about the women's's and children's human rights issues, because that is all my experience.

Yeah. And also, first few years, I only speak about my experience and women's and children's rights, because at that time I was a lack of knowledge about the world issues, you know, and those international law, everything that. So I would say learning, studied myself and still I've learned, yeah, I still lack of knowledge. But then I've learned everything and I share it differently. Same is the women's and children's issue, but also is add more is the global issues.

So example is more than slavery issues and the state lessness issues. Yeah, everything is, I just said, add art is my activities work. So I'm just saying North Korea human rights issues, not only North Korean issues, that is world human rights issues, not only North Korean issues, that is world human rights issues. So we have to put these global issues, examples of modern slavery issues and the statelessness issues. Every year the companies publish the report, but still they not mentioned North Korea and its issues. But four years ago, I first time published more than slavery issues in World Report about North Korea's human rights issues.

Yeah. And then nowadays, I just mentioned it, statelessness issues. Because it's many people said that is a North Korean people, it's North Korea's DPRK. So we are citizen. They just think about the normal citizens. But in North Korea, we have got to see North Korea law. They have got different. One is Pyongyang city law. It's differently. How is Pyongyang citizens lives in Pyongyang or something that. So you know, that every country, especially in the UK, they have not just London citizens' law. We have to see all citizens' laws, all the citizens' living laws. But in North Korea, they have got the Pyongyang citizens' laws.

They separated different laws. And the Pyongyang citizens, they have got different ID cards, Pyongyang citizen cards. So this is an issue. This is meaning is normal North Korean people, we have got this identification, but that is only slavery card. That is only number. What is numbers, my slavery numbers in there. So North Korean government, they know we have got to free to get the passport, but North Korean Korean government never gave us the passport. So this is the nowadays slavery issues, modern slavery issues, and also part of statelessness issues.

Yes, so now, you know, we usually talk about that is the repatriation issues. It's North Koreans, repatriated from China to South Korea. So many NGOs and the United Nations mentioned that just 1951 repatriation issues. So I'm just just plus that is 1954, when they published the state residency issues, you know, the global issues, I wanna put together.

So I'm just just ask to is Michael Kirby or something, that's these issues. I just said that North Korea is a modern celebrity and the state-less people, something like that. So Michael Kirby is, yeah, I think 70 percent, he agreed my work is issues. So that's my voice is go off off and tell the people is not North Korea only Korea issues. That is global issues. So Jihyun, let me ask you, do you think it's possible to achieve more in the area of North Korean human rights while living in the United Kingdom than it is in South Korea? I think so. Yes, because it's the first is that I speak English. I know my English is not perfect.

There's still many, many problems. But I'm just speaking English. This is a big opportunity, big achievement for me, because I shared my opinions in a world. And then I argue some of the issues from government side or academic side, you know, the normal angel side. Yeah. So this is our opinion. We growing up in our ideas and then improved our work. So yeah, so learning to English, that is more achievement in my life. Yeah. Now, a couple of years ago, you joined the British Conservative Party and you ran for

election in the local elections in the United Kingdom. Why did you do that? You know, the South Korea is the same and the United Kingdom is also the same. We now live in diversity, not only UK citizens or something that is diversity in life. So we have different societies. In the United Kingdom also, we are divided into United Kingdom citizens and the immigration and the refugees. So mostly people think about that is mine. I know it's my background is refugees, but now I am citizen. But most people think about that I'm just still this refugee societies. So that is a kind of first is my problems. I continue to live in refugee societies. I can't see it's different views and different skinnies

and different knowledges. I can't learn everything that. So I wanted to learn about British cultures and the British politics because that is not only Britain. That could be world issues. So my politics started to say, shouting in a British people, hello, I am here. So that is a kind of message because I am not a silent person. I'm just a speaking person. I have a human, so I have my voice, but somebody can't listen to our voice.

So I'm just knocking the doors. Hello, I am here. I wanted to join your societies. Please, please open your door. So that is the meaning. I'm just joined this first party. And then then second reason is you know the my freedom journey is from 1998 to 2008 is a 10 years journey so I see that is the first is a conservatist and the labor parties so I know it's the first time the labor party example is a labor party yeah it's first time they give us beautiful swimming pool yeah you know that is a luxury it's a labor party. Yeah, it's first time they give us beautiful swimming pool. Yeah, you know, that is a luxury is kind of really lovely. But just only they give us a swimming pool and many people live in one is the swimming pool side. So they never is cut off the disease barrier because if

cut off and the water is gone out, so life is gone. So that is limited knowledge is given to me is what is the labor party, but the conservative party gives me road. So that's not only luxury, that is sometimes really dangerous, sometimes we failed, but this road is given to me opportunities and challenges and also telling me never give up, keep going

to your journey. And also values, they just create values, families first and then individuals and freedom and justice. So they just clearly telling me what is the conservative values and the conservatives. So that's why I joined the Conservative Party. And what did you learn from the experience of running for election? And would you do it again? No, I just, yes, yeah, I want to do again.

So my experience, especially my hometown in Bailey, we have got, that is totally not only British people in here, you know, the Christians, Muslims and the Jewish people, you know, they live in together is a big Muslim, is the societies and the second large Jewish societies in my hometown. So first is I've learned that how different religion people lives in same country, same places,

and how they neighbors. So, sometimes we learned that the media published that Muslim people hated Jewish, Jewish people hated something. We just learned about all religion people hated different religion or something like that. But my experience is totally different. They never hate each other. They help together and they respect their religion. So that is the first I've learned that when I started my local campaigns. So I was really surprised and my eyes are open. Yeah. So that could be one day,

we unification, we just say that the North and the South Korean unification, we have to give to them chances, religions. Religion is a freedom. So we are not controlled. You have to join the Christian groups. You have to join or something. We're not pushing them that. Yeah, so that is what I've learned. That is the first my campaign in my area. Thank you. And do you also include activism for North Korean human rights in your political work? Yeah, I want to say that add one more, you know, that is, back to global problem, they have got women's teams in global problem. I just mentioned that global problem and unification, that is not to support the competitions. So I still don't understand why they divided

the women's groups or women's teams or something that. That is my question is that is why man is not interesting to women's issues or something that. Because I to say that women's humanity is the activities, I think women's human rights are the reason why women's rights are often a reflection of the broader human rights situation in our country. In order to truly understand our nation's politics, economics, culture, and educational landscapes, we must first look at the status of women within the society. But Korean unification discussions often become polarized along gender lines or academics, background. So they just division is a problem. So I know it's first time I just

is sometimes I just think about that is a poor example. In South Korea household, you know, the man is often the responsibility is a family finances, and then women take on crucial role education, they choose. So they choose clapping together and they choose growing up the generations in bright life in future. So that is a kind of unification. We work, collaborate work, not man. I know most man is they work really hard.

It's not discrimination of man. Man is work really hard, but they can't work alone. We work together. So you have to think about North Korea. The North Korean government always said that it's females. got the one we revolutionary wheels in one side we are all women's are flowers or something that is the North Korea politics lots of mentioned the women's issues they made a mother's day and also they opened is the mother's conference not to man's conference mother's conference, mothers' conference. And then Kim Jong-un also brings his daughter and his sister. Yeah, that is the meaning. Kim Jong-un is not showed to us North Korea politics, work together. But they never work together. But why is North Korea always mentioned?

When the North Korean Human Rights Report came out, then North Korea government published women's human rights issues. That is the first reason they are back in the world. Why they mentioned women's issues? Because women are quickly changed. The reason in 1990s when it's massive killings happening in North Korea. So women quickly changed.

They started market systems and they understand quickly capital systems. And then they got the information quickly and they have changed their mind. So women have lots of ideas, ideas, but still the world not including that is a woman's activities and women's ideologies. So I'm just now thinking about that is Margaret Thatcher, you know, that mentioned that if you have issues, ask the women. Yes, yes, if you have issues, ask the woman. So this is me. Is women is quickly ideas quickly solving problems. But this world is still not to accept many women's issues. Yeah. So unification is not only political, diplomatic or money issues, man issues, that is,

including women's issues. Oh, that's certainly very interesting. I'm afraid that's where we're going to have to finish our interview for today. I want to thank you once again, Jihyun Park for coming on the NK News podcast, and I wish you all the best with your endeavors in activism and in politics. Thank you so much for having me. Welcome to a new realm of insights into the Korean Peninsula. At Korea Risk Group, we delve deep into the complexities of North and South Korea,

offering bespoke analyses that empower decision makers. Whether you're in government, business, or academia, our tailored solutions provide clarity in an opaque region. Let our team guide your strategy with data-driven insights and on-the-ground intelligence. Step into a world of informed decision making and visit careerriskgroup.com today. Ladies and gentlemen, that brings us to the end of our podcast episode for today. Our thanks go to Brian Betts and Alana Hill for facilitating this episode and to our post-recording producer genius, Gabby Magnuson, who cuts out all the

extraneous noises, awkward silences, bodily functions and fixes the audio levels. Thank you for listening.