It might sound like an overly dramatic plot twist in a low-budget spy thriller, but it’s true: some Westerners in South Korea went undercover trying to destroy the volunteer project I co-founded in 2013.
Before I defected from North Korea, I never dreamed of giving a speech at Harvard University, the top university in the world. When I was in North Korea, I thought Kim Il-sung University was the best in the world. I didn t know much about the rest of the world, and I couldn t even imagine giving a speech in English at a world-class university.
Last year, I was listening to one of my favorite rappers, Chuck D., when a line from one of his songs caught my attention: “When I can’t change the people around me, I change the people around me.” In other words, when he can’t alter the culture, attitudes, or behavior of those around him, he chooses to associate with new individuals.
I never expected to be an author. I began writing notes about my life but I didn’t intend to write a book. After I began working as a staffer in the Freedom Speakers International (FSI) office, I thought about writing a book, but I had no confidence in myself to do so.