Yulseong Lee joined Freedom Speakers International (FSI) in 2020 as a high school student in a special program for North Korean refugee youth. In February 2025, he joined FSI’s North Korean Refugee Keynote Speakers Network.

He is a North Korean refugee who was born and raised in North Korea. He is currently majoring in Life Sciences at the University of Seoul in South Korea.

He spent his childhood in North Korean society, where people are not allowed to freely ask questions or express their own thoughts. There was no freedom of expression or freedom of religion. Many people are still living without even having the right to know about the outside world.

In May 2017, he left North Korea and began a dangerous journey toward freedom. After a long journey through several countries, he finally arrived in South Korea in October of the same year. The journey was not easy, but it became a precious opportunity for him to start a new life.

Now, as he study life sciences, he dreams of becoming a scientist who researches diseases and contributes to the health of humanity. At the same time, by sharing my experiences, he hopes to raise awareness about the reality of North Korea and become a voice that speaks about the values of freedom and human rights.