A North Korean’s TED Talk Triggers Mixed Feelings From Chinese Netizens
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Hyeonseo Lee
Lee came to the TED conference in Long Beach last month to share her story of her life in North Korea, how she escaped to China when she was 14 years old, her fear of repatriation and how she became a South Korean citizen.
“When I was young, I thought my country was the best on the planet,” Lee said in her speech, “When I was 7 years old, I saw my first public execution, but I thought my life was normal.”
The supporters said they were shocked by the brutality of the North Korean government and understand how hard the path to democracy is. Tian Ye, a Chinese netizen, wrote that he was very touched by the story. Huang Yang, a Chinese student at Algoma University said “The fat Kim has gone crazy. I will help them escape if I have the chance.”
“I thought what Leonard said in Big Bang Theory about North Korean girls was a joke, but now it seems that there are quite many North Koreans escaping the country. It’s really not easy,” said Weibo user Skysoar.
On the other hand, some netizens doubt that her story was a make-belief by the U.S. government, intending to deceive Chinese people and criticize China. Weibo user Salakely said “Hyeonseo Lee, you should've been stoned to death, traitor!”
North Korean movies and Some state-owned Chinese media usually portray North Korea as a happy land with free food, free education and free healthcare. Only until recently, with more stories of North Korean defectors coming out and social media, more Chinese, especially oversea Chinese, start to realize the truth.
The video has already been censored on Chinese websites. If there is any comfort for the Chinese government about this video, Weibo user ChanceSwann said “Compared to North Korea, living in China is way happier.”
Reach reporter Shako Liu here.
