Myeonghee Kim joined the Freedom Speakers International (FSI) English Empowerment program in 2017 as an English language student and became a member of FSI’s North Korean Refugee Keynote Speakers Network in 2021.

Myonghee’s parents passed away during North Korea’s “Arduous March.” She first attempted to escape to freedom at the age of 19, but was a victim of human trafficking in China. She was twice repatriated to North Korea, suffering gross human rights violations such as being the victim of a forced abortion without anesthesia.

Ten years after first attempting to escape from North Korea, she finally made it to South Korea where she has found new hopes and dreams.

She is now studying social welfare and is a motivational speaker.

“Telling my story can be difficult, but I hope that, by sharing what happened to me, I can inspire others who feel hopeless or believe that life is not worth living. There were times when I was fighting for my life, and I survived. I hope others who are struggling can find something in my story that can help them see their self-worth and help them to start building a foundation for realizing dreams they may have once had.”