VIDEO: How Foreign Media Changed My Life - Joo Yang
While growing up in North Korea, Joo Yang would listen to foreign broadcasts on an illegal radio with her family. They listened to broadcasts from Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, Far East Broadcasting Company, and South Korean news channels for 10 years while preparing to defect despite the danger of being caught and sent to a prison camp. This was just the first of her many access points to foreign media.
When the rest of her family escaped in 2007 and 2008, Joo Yang had to stay behind. "I tried to defect once in 2009 but failed, but my father sent me money, so I went to another town and bribed the officials so I could attend college and stay safe. At that time, my family smuggled a package to me from South Korea. They sent a Toshiba laptop, MP3 and MP4 players, and an electronic dictionary. All of my university friends had MP3 and MP4 players, but we could only use them in secrecy, hidden from the teachers and security officials, under our blankets at night," she said.
Joo Yang successfully escaped in 2010. She now interns part-time at LiNK's office in South Korea and participates on the popular South Korean television program "Now on My Way to Meet You," which aims to bridge the gap between North and South Koreans.
Watch her video to learn more about her life, as well as how she used foreign media and what effect it had on her.
Learn more about Joo Yang:
Summit Speaker — Joo Yang
North Korea's Black Markets with Joo Yang - NPR
Joo Yang Reddit AMA
North Korean Cuisine with Joo Yang - VICE
North Korean Fellows in the United States: Meet the Class of 2025
Please join us in welcoming Hannah and Rose, LiNK’s 2025 Advocacy Fellows!
The Advocacy Fellows program partners with young North Korean defectors to build their skills as effective leaders, storytellers, and agents of change for this issue. Hannah and Rose spent the last month training and preparing with our team in South Korea, and will now be traveling across the US to share their stories!
Join us at a Fellows speaking event near you!
Dallas, TX
September 9th, 6pm
Southern Methodist University | Dallas Hall Room 306 (McCord Auditorium)
3225 University Blvd, Dallas TX 75205
RSVP Here
Guest parking information here
Waco, TX
September 11th, 6pm
Baylor University, Foster Campus | Room 240
1621 S 3rd St, Waco, TX 76706
RSVP Here
Parking: 1521 S Fourth St. Waco,TX 76706 (Google maps or Apple Maps)
Madison, WI
September 16th, 12pm
UW-Madison | Lubar Commons (Room 7200)
975 Bascom Mall, Madison, WI 53706
RSVP here
Evanston, IL
September 20th, 5pm
Northwestern University | Harris Hall 107
1881 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60201
RSVP Here
Palo Alto, CA
September 28th, 1:20pm
True North Church
655 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306
RSVP Here
Berkeley, CA
September 29th, 6pm
UC Berkeley | Stephens Lounge at the MLK Student Union
2495 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720
Parking: Lower Sproul Garage
RSVP Here
Washington, D.C.
October 8th, 1pm ET
The Stimson Center
1211 Connecticut Avenue Northwest Washington, DC 20036
RSVP Here
*Online livestream also available: RSVP Here
Washington, D.C
October 9th, 10:30am
ET Hudson Institute
1201 Pennsylvania Ave N.W. Suite 400 Washington, DC 20004
RSVP Here
Philadelphia, PA
October 13th, 5:30pm
University of Pennsylvania
3401 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
RSVP Here
New York, NY
October 16th, 2025, 12 PM
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
RSVP here
Los Angeles, CA
October 21st, 7:30pm
UCLA
Haines Hall Room A2 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Parking available in UCLA Parking Structure 2
RSVP here
Additional details and timely updates will be sent to RSVP’ed guests via email.
Hannah is a 4th year student at Hongik University studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering. While participating in LiNK’s Changemaker Scholarship Program, she worked on developing devices and strategies that increase information access for people inside North Korea. Her goal as an Advocacy Fellow is to grow as a leader and communicator, and facilitate more collaborative work on this issue.
Rose graduated from Hongik University’s Department of Architecture. For her final project, she designed a memorial to honor North Korean human rights and provide comfort to defectors who had to leave their homeland. She drew inspiration from the Holocaust and 9/11 Memorials in the US, and was deeply moved by how such spaces contribute to healing and progress. As an Advocacy Fellow, Rose hopes to continue finding her identity and increase interest in this issue.
