A North Korean Childhood

Human rights advocate Oona Chaplin reads the North Koeran defector, Yeonmi Park's remarkable account of her escape from one of the world's most repressive regimes, and her struggle for survival. Aged thirteen, she and her mother crossed the North Korean border into China where the pair fell into an underworld of human traffickers. Following their harrowing experiences, the two crossed the Gobi desert into Mongolia before they finally found freedom in South Korea. In today's episode, Yeonmi Park recalls what it was like to grow up in a dictatorship.

Twenty-two year old Yeonmi Park is now based in Seoul. She is travelling the world and speaking as a speaker and human rights activist.

Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Elizabeth Allard.