The North Korea I Remember: School, Family, and Home
By: HyeGyeong Joo
HyeGyeong is a PhD student in the Department of Economics at Korea University, specializing in theoretical economics. Her research looks at developing theoretical models of the North Korean economy. Since 2022, Hye-Gyeong has also participated in LiNK’s English Language Program.
Have you ever wanted to go home even while you were already at home? Because I have. It feels as though I am not longing for a physical house, but for something harder to name: a sense of belonging, of being whole, of belonging not anywhere but somewhere I would truly belong. Instead, I often feel emptiness, as if I do not fully belong. But I am not sure what these feelings mean or where they come from exactly.
I have been living in South Korea for around ten years, but I still miss North Korean food, school life, and above all, the time I spent with my family. There are restaurants in South Korea run by North Korean refugees, and sometimes their dishes bring back memories of home. Foods like injogogi-bap or nongma-guksu remind me not only of North Korean cuisine, but of birthdays, family, and everyday life.
The long strands of nongma-guksu always carry the wish for a long life, while the taste of injogogi-bap brings back the memory of a soybean dish made to resemble the meat we so rarely had.
While these foods remind me of home, what I remember most vividly is my school life in North Korea. When I was in fourth grade, the girls in my school would often gather in the schoolyard to play jump rope. I was actually quite good at it. We would start with the rope at ankle height and gradually raise it higher and higher.
One day, when the rope had been raised to about head height, I tried to jump over it. Since I was quite short, I had to lift my leg as high as I could. Unfortunately, I ended up tearing my pants. I was so embarrassed that I almost cried. But what I remember most clearly is my teachers laughing so hard as they watched from the side. Even now, I can still picture that moment vividly.
I also remember winter lunchtime at school. We all brought packed lunches from home. In one corner of the classroom, there was a stove, and before lunch, students would place their lunch boxes on top of it to warm their food.
Sometimes, the lunch box closest to the stove would get burnt. During class, the smell of scorched rice would fill the room and make us so hungry that it was hard to focus. When lunchtime finally came, my friends and I would gather around the stove, sit in a circle, and eat together.
More than anything else, however, I miss the memories of winter. My friends and I would climb the hills near our town, sit on large sacks, and slide all the way down as if we were on sleds. We did it so often that the fabric on the back of our pants would wear thin and eventually tear. When that happened, I would go home only to be scolded by my mother.
Life was not easy in those days. We were often hungry and did not live comfortably. Sometimes we skipped breakfast, and sometimes a thin porridge was all we had for dinner. Yet, despite those hardships, I cannot forget the laughter we shared.
Looking back now, I realize that what I miss is not North Korea as a system. What I miss are the people with whom I laughed and cried, and the memories of my childhood that have stayed with me to this day.
For a long time, however, I could not talk about these feelings to anyone. I kept them to myself, unsure of how others would understand them. That began to change after I met people through Liberty in North Korea (LiNK). For the first time, I found a space where I felt I could speak more honestly about my memories and my life in North Korea.
Through the LiNK English program, I became close to a friend, and together we made a plan to create a book. I would write about real life in North Korea, and she would draw the illustrations for the book. I wanted people to see North Korea not only as a political system, but also as a place where ordinary people live, love, struggle, and create memories.
I shared this plan with someone I trusted deeply in South Korea. But she told me, “No, you can’t!” She said that if I spoke honestly about daily life in North Korea and about how much I miss certain parts of it, despite all the difficulties, people might ask, “Then why are you here? If you miss it so much, why don’t you go back?” Her response hurt me so deeply that I eventually closed my heart to others. After that, I stopped talking about these feelings with anyone. Only later did I finally find a place where I could tell my story freely and without hesitation.
When many people think about North Korea, they often think about politics, missiles, or the regime. But when I think about North Korea, I remember a girl whose pants tore while playing jump rope, students gathering around a stove to eat lunch together, and children laughing as they slid down snowy hills on sacks.
That is why I hope people can see North Korea not only as a political system, but also as a place where ordinary people live their lives. The people living there are not so different from people anywhere else. They laugh, dream, make friends, and create memories. Those are the stories I hope to share.
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HyeGyeong is a participant of the LiNK English Language Program (LELP), which serves to not only help North Korean defectors build confidence and skills in English, but develop their capacity as advocates for this issue. To that end, we partnered with select LELP “columnists” to write and polish personal essays through multiple rounds of external feedback and revision. Our goal is to have more North Koreans share their stories directly and lead efforts to change the narrative.
We believe the North Korean people can achieve their liberty in our lifetime.
Opportunities like LELP invest in the people building that future now. Help more North Koreans find their voice, reach their goals, and lead change on this issue.
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One Day with the North Korean People | LiNK Summit 2023
After five years, LiNK Summit made its return on June 3rd, 2023! Over 200 Allies, North Korean advocates, fellow activists, and global LiNK staff gathered to spend One Day with the North Korean People in Long Beach, CA. We had supporters who drove hundreds of miles and flew in from across the US, bringing friends and family to join the movement.
Working on this issue can often feel isolating. Summit was a much-needed, powerful reminder that so many incredible people are committed to seeing a free North Korea in our lifetime. Through the course of a day, attendees had the opportunity to hear directly from and collaborate with North Koreans through different breakout sessions and experiences.
The Jangmadang Experience
Perhaps the highlight of this year’s Summit was The Jangmadang Experience – a collection of interactive booths and installations inspired by North Korea’s grassroots markets. Attendees could see smuggled goods, try North Korean food, pick up swag, and find ways to take action.
The “Taste of North Korea” food booth was a favorite among guests. Our North Korea-born staff were able to source authentic North Korean cookies and candy, as well as corn flour, which they used to prepare sweet corn rice cakes at the event.
People returned for seconds, then thirds. Our North Korean friends were shocked by the familiar tastes, and reminisced about the last time they had these snacks in North Korea. It was so heartwarming to see how food connected past and present, and created a new experience for everyone.
“Under the Same Sky” was a collaborative installation inspired by Joseph Kim’s memoir and the colorful prayer ribbons at Imjingak Park near the border of North & South Korea. When Joseph Kim thinks about his sister, whom he hasn’t seen since his escape, he says:
“Right now, we only share the stars. But I can look up at night and see that you are under the same sky. That will have to be enough until I find you.”
Attendees were asked to share their own messages of hope and tie them to the wall. As the day passed, it was so encouraging to see the number of ribbons grow- a reminder that we’re all under the same sky, and one day every North Korean will be free.
Another popular destination was “Past Lives,” a collection of smuggled goods and mementos from North Korea. Each of the objects- North Korean money, propaganda posters and pins, a razor blade, a floral dress, and more- held powerful stories and memories from the past lives of our North Korean friends.
As guests perused the rest of the booths, they could write postcards inviting people to become Allies, record a message of encouragement to our North Korean friends, marvel at photos from inside North Korea, and more. It was a vibrant and exciting part of the day, emulating the dynamism of the Jangmadangs in North Korea!
The Red Box Live
Inspired by our popular YouTube series, The Red Box, we created an offline opportunity to ask our North Korean friends anything about life in the most closed country in the world. Harry, Joy, and Sunghee shared their personal stories while candidly responding to audience questions about everything from dating in North Korea to experiences with discrimination in South Korea.
“I learned that every North Korean refugee has their own unique story, and the freedom they enjoy now is something that all 25 million North Koreans deserve.”
– Summit attendee
Imagining the Future of North Korea
We can’t know what path North Korea will take, but we do know that irreversible change is already happening and it's being driven by the people. In this panel we had North Korean activist, Seohyun Lee; expert on North Korea’s technology and media environment, Nat Kretchun; and LiNK’s South Korea Country Director, Sokeel Park, lead a discussion around imagining the future of North Korea and how we can support change.
Increasing the North Korean people’s access to outside information is one of our biggest opportunities to accelerate change on the ground. This session provided insight into the world’s most closed off country and LiNK’s current work in the area of information dissemination.
Allies Hackathon
The Allies Hackathon was a nod to the grassroots origins of LiNK, and how supporter-led LiNK Teams continue to be at the forefront of this movement. At this interactive session, participants teamed up to brainstorm how we can bring more attention to this issue, drawing from other parts of the day. The goal was to equip and empower attendees to take the momentum from Summit back to their communities!
“Jihyun and Esther brought the energy for the Allies Hackathon! I thought the prompts and how we broke into different groups was great, and it was fun to hear everyone’s ideas. I plan to stay in touch with my little group and hopefully we can encourage each other to stay active in our support for this issue.”
– Summit attendee
North Korean Agents of Change
North Korean defectors have incredible potential to impact this issue, from both inside the country and as they resettle in freedom. In this session, LiNK’s CEO, Hannah Song, led a conversation with North Korean advocate, Daehyeon Park, and a visionary North Korean entrepreneur who are supporting their communities, empowering others, and leading this movement as agents of change.
“Daehyeon was asked ‘What would it take for CHANGE - the big change in North Korea, that we all want to see.’ He was very quick to respond that LiNK currently has about 30 employees. What would it take for them to have 300 employees, 1000 employees? I was SO STRUCK at his faith in LiNK, that THIS ORGANIZATION could make this happen! He, who has been through it all, believes that this group of workers and volunteers are enough. They are passionate enough, smart and inventive and creative enough, to open up and free his nation. I was on a high all the way home!”
– Summit attendee
Keynote Speaker: Joseph Kim
After a day of nonstop inspiration and life-changing conversations, everyone gathered to hear from Joseph Kim, a North Korean defector, advocate, and the Associate & Expert-in-Residence, Freedom and Democracy at the Bush Center.
In 2013, Joseph delivered a TED Talk on the importance of hope and published a memoir, “Under the Same Sky.” At Summit, he revisited the power of choosing to have hope for this issue.
“It’s important to remember that North Korea is a land with darkness, not a land of darkness. There is hope for the future, and I have chosen to live my life believing in that hope.”
Finally, LiNK’s CEO, Hannah Song, wrapped up the day with a few parting words on what lies ahead.
“I know that North Korea can seem like this unchanging issue, one that definitely feels hopeless at times. In those brief moments of despair, I think about how hard some of our North Korean friends fought for their freedom…. I’m reminded that it is a privilege for us to do this work, because that means there is still something that we can do.”
At the end of the day, our excitement and confidence in the future was renewed. Each and every one of us has the ability to be a force for change. As the North Korean people strive towards their freedom, their hope for the future should galvanize us all.
We’re already looking forward to the next LiNK Summit! From all of us on the LiNK team - thank you to everyone who made this day one to remember.
