In Order to Live
Yeonmi Park, Maryanne Vollers
26 min
9 Key Points
4.8 RateWhat's inside?
Experience the harrowing journey of a young North Korean girl as she escapes from her oppressive homeland in search of freedom and a better life.
You'll learn
1. What's life really like in North Korea?2. How tough is it to escape North Korea?3. Why does freedom matter so much?4. Can grit and guts beat tough times?5. What's it like fitting into a new culture?6. Does education really empower you?Key points
01Where every voice counts in a silent world
"In a place where silence is the loudest sound, every story that breaks through matters." This powerful statement sums up the essence of Yeonmi Park's life journey. Let's first understand the backdrop. North Korea is a place where freedom of speech is a distant dream. The government controls what people say, think, and even feel. This enforced silence hides the real situation in the country. But, every now and then, a brave voice breaks through this silence. These voices, like Yeonmi's, give us a peek into the grim reality of life in North Korea. They show us the strength of the human spirit and the desire for freedom, even in the face of extreme hardship. Yeonmi's story is one such voice. She was born into a family that had more than most. But when her family lost everything, she saw the true face of North Korea. Her journey from comfort to hardship, and finally to freedom, is a powerful tale that shows why every voice that breaks the silence is important. But Yeonmi's story isn't just about her. It's about the countless North Koreans who are still suffering under the oppressive regime. Her story gives a voice to those who can't speak for themselves. It shows us why every story that breaks the silence is important. These stories are like a ray of hope in the overwhelming silence. They show the strength of the human spirit and call for action from the world. Stories like Yeonmi's matter because they show us a world that is hidden from us. They remind us of the atrocities being committed and the urgent need for change. So, when we say "in a place where silence is the loudest sound, every story that breaks through matters," we're talking about the importance of giving a voice to the voiceless. We're talking about the importance of every story that breaks the silence in North Korea. These stories are a beacon of hope and a call to action.
02Living in a city that feels like hell
Imagine a city so harsh and unforgiving, it's been called "a city on the edge of hell". That's Hyesan, a city in North Korea, right on the border with China. It's a place where the weather is so cold, it's a struggle just to survive. This is where Yeonmi was born, two months early, on a chilly October day in 1993. Her mother had been working hard throughout her pregnancy, and the doctors weren't sure if Yeonmi would make it. That's just how tough life was in Hyesan. The 1990s were a rough time for North Korea. The USSR, which had been a big help to North Korea, fell apart. This meant that North Korea lost a lot of the economic support it had been getting. The country was in a bad way, especially because it relied so much on the USSR and China for things like fuel and food. To make matters worse, there was a shortage of imported fertilizer and the weather was terrible, which led to a terrible famine. The aid that North Korea did get was often taken by the army or stolen, leaving regular folks to fend for themselves. Hyesan, with its location on the border, became a hotspot for smugglers. It was a good place to move goods across the border. The black market was booming, and even the top officials couldn't stop the smuggling because they didn't have enough power. Yeonmi's family got into the smuggling business early on. Even though they had a high political status, or songbun, given to them by the Kim dynasty, they were forced into smuggling because of a legal issue with Yeonmi's eldest uncle. He had been convicted of a serious sex offense, which hurt the family's songbun. This pushed them into smuggling just to survive. Yeonmi's dad was a natural at business and he smuggled all sorts of things like cigarettes, food, and clothes from China. He even met his future wife during one of his smuggling trips. At first, she didn't like the idea of capitalism, but she knew they had to do what they could to survive and take care of their two daughters. In fact, Yeonmi's mom was in labor with Yeonmi during one of these smuggling trips, stealing coal. Interestingly, Hyesan is also where another well-known North Korean defector, Hyeonseo Lee, is from. The city's location on the border gave her a chance to escape from the tough conditions in North Korea. So, when you hear about "a city on the edge of hell", you'll know it's talking about Hyesan in the 1990s. The people there had to do whatever they could to survive, even if it meant smuggling and breaking the law. It's a stark reminder of just how desperate things were in North Korea during that time.
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03What's it like being a woman in North Korea?
04Running out of time to stay alive
05Risky relationships
06Following the North Star to freedom
07Adjusting to a new life with new rules
08Discovering herself in a new world
09Conclusion
About Yeonmi Park, Maryanne Vollers
Yeonmi Park is a North Korean defector and human rights activist who escaped to China in 2007 and settled in South Korea in 2009. Maryanne Vollers is an American author and journalist, known for ghostwriting memoirs and for her reporting on political and cultural issues.
