Grace Jo lived in North Korea until her family defected when she was 7. / Photo by Alex Melagrano

Grace Jo, a North Korean defector who recalls living in hunger, eating boiled mice soup for basic nutrition, spoke about her experiences as a citizen of one of the world's most repressive nations, and her journey to eventually resettling in the US. 

With the help of the UN and a Korean-American pastor, Jo sought asylum and eventually found the organization Emancipate North Koreans (ENoK) and was housed in their "Empower House."

“Even after I [came] to America I didn’t actually realize what freedom [was],” Jo said. “But the moment I could go to other states freely, or take a plane and meet other people from other states it [felt] like I’m traveling…it’s a big country and I can travel if I want and I can go anywhere.”

However, to close out her talk, Jo focused on cultural similarities and the importance of showcasing Korean culture.

“I think culture is a very beautiful thing,” Jo said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s North Korea or South Korea or the U.S. The cultural beauty, we can share that even if we don’t know the language.”

Read more here: https://www.huntnewsnu.com/2018/02/north-korean-defector-speaks-out-at-harvard/