And I was very proud.

自分の国は地球上で最高だと信じていました

In school, we spent a lot of time studying the history of Kim Il-Sung, but we never learned much about the outside world, except that America, South Korea, Japan are the enemies.

「われらに羨むものなど何もない」 という歌を歌って育ちました

Although I often wondered about the outside world, I thought I would spend entire my life in North Korea, until everything suddenly changed.

とても誇らしい気分でした

When I was seven years old, I saw my first public execution, but I thought my life in North Korea was normal.

学校では多くの時間を割いて

My family was not poor, and myself, I had never experienced hunger.

金日成の功績を学習しましたが

But one day, in 1995, my mom brought home a letter from a coworker's sister.

国外について学ぶ機会は殆どなく

It read, "When you read this, all five family members will not exist in this world, because we haven't eaten for the past two weeks. We are lying on the floor together, and our bodies are so weak we are ready to die."

単に 米国 韓国 日本は我々の 敵だと教えられました

I was so shocked.

しばしば外の世界を想像しましたが

This was the first time I heard that people in my country were suffering.

この国に一生住むと思っていました

Soon after, when I was walking past a train station, I saw something terrible that I can't erase from my memory.

しかし ある日を境に全てが変わりました

A lifeless woman was lying on the ground, while an emaciated child in her arms just stared helplessly at his mother's face.

7歳のとき初めて公開処刑を目撃しました

But nobody helped them, because they were so focused on taking care of themselves and their families.

それでも私の生活は普通だと思っていました

A huge famine hit North Korea in the mid-1990s.

当時 私の家族は貧しくなく

Ultimately, more than a million North Koreans died during the famine, and many only survived by eating grass, bugs and tree bark.

私自身は飢餓を経験していません

Power outages also became more and more frequent, so everything around me was completely dark at night except for the sea of lights in China, just across the river from my home.

1995年のある日 母が手紙を持ち帰りました

I always wondered why they had lights but we didn't.

同僚の妹からの手紙でした

This is a satellite picture showing North Korea at night compared to neighbors.

書いてあったのは― “この手紙が届くころ我々家族５人は

This is the Amrok River, which serves as a part of the border between North Korea and China.

この世には いないことでしょう

As you can see, the river can be very narrow at certain points, allowing North Koreans to secretly cross.

最後に食べたのは２週間前でした

But many die.

今は皆 床でただじっと横になり

Sometimes, I saw dead bodies floating down the river.

衰弱しきって死を待つだけです”

I can't reveal many details how I left North Korea, but I only can say that during the ugly years of the famine I was sent to China to live with distant relatives.

本当にショックでした

But I only thought that I would be separated from my family for a short time.

初めて知ったのです

I could have never imagined that it would take 14 years to live together.

飢餓に苦しむ人が私の国にいるなんて

In China, it was hard living as a young girl without my family.

その後すぐ ある駅を通りました

I had no idea what life was going to be like as North Korean refugees, but I soon learned it's not only extremely difficult, it's also very dangerous, since North Korean refugees are considered in China as illegal migrants.

痛ましい姿を見ました

So I was living in constant fear that my identity could be revealed, and I would be repatriated to a horrible fate back in North Korea.

今でも記憶から拭い去れません

One day, my worst nightmare came true, when I was caught by the Chinese police and brought to the police station for interrogation.

それは息絶えた一人の女性でした

Someone had accused me of being North Korean, so they tested my Chinese language abilities and asked me tons of questions.

痩せ細った子供がその腕に抱かれたまま

I was so scared, I thought my heart was going to explode.

なす術もなく母親の顔を 覗きこんでいました

If anything seemed unnatural, I could be imprisoned and repatriated.

誰も助けようとはしませんでした

I thought my life was over, but I managed to control all the emotions inside me and answer the questions.

自分と家族を守るのに精一杯なのです

After they finished questioning me, one official said to another, "This was a false report. She's not North Korean."

90年代半ば深刻な飢饉が北朝鮮を襲いました

And they let me go. It was a miracle.

最終的には百万人以上が死亡し

Some North Koreans in China seek asylum in foreign embassies, but many can be caught by the Chinese police and repatriated.

生き残った人の多くは飢えをしのぐため

These girls were so lucky.

草や 虫 木の皮を口にしました

Even though they were caught, they were eventually released after heavy international pressure.

停電も頻繁に起きるようになり

These North Koreans were not so lucky.

夜は真っ暗闇に包まれました

Every year, countless North Koreans are caught in China and repatriated to North Korea, where they can be tortured, imprisoned or publicly executed.

中国側の煌々とした灯りが見えました

Even though I was really fortunate to get out, many other North Koreans have not been so lucky.

私の家の川向こうは中国でした

It's tragic that North Koreans have to hide their identities and struggle so hard just to survive.

なぜ向こう側は明るいのに こちら側は暗いのか常に不思議でした

Even after learning a new language and getting a job, their whole world can be turned upside down in an instant.

これは 夜の北朝鮮をとらえた衛星写真です

That's why, after 10 years of hiding my identity, I decided to risk going to South Korea, and I started a new life yet again.

隣国と比較して見ることができます

Settling down in South Korea was a lot more challenging than I had expected.

この川は鴨緑江（アムノッカン）です

English was so important in South Korea, so I had to start learning my third language.

北朝鮮と中国の

Also, I realized there was a wide gap between North and South.

国境線になっています

We are all Korean, but inside, we have become very different due to 67 years of division.

ご覧の通り川幅が狭い地点が数か所あり

I even went through an identity crisis.

北朝鮮の人々が密かに越境しようとします

Am I South Korean or North Korean?

しかし多くは命を落とします

Where am I from? Who am I?

死体が流れていくのを何度か見ました

Suddenly, there was no country I could proudly call my own.

私が北朝鮮を脱出した経過を 詳しくは話せません

Even though adjusting to life in South Korea was not easy, but I made a plan.

とにかく何年も飢饉が続いた時期に

I started studying for the university entrance exam.

私は中国に住む遠戚の元に送られたのです

Just as I was starting to get used to my new life, I received a shocking phone call.

家族と離れて暮らすのは

The North Korean authorities intercepted some money that I sent to my family, and, as a punishment, my family was going to be forcibly removed to a desolate location in the countryside.

ほんの短い間だけだと思っていました

They had to get out quickly, so I started planning how to help them escape.

まさか家族と再会するのに

North Koreans have to travel incredible distances on the path to freedom.

14年も要するとは想像しませんでした

It's almost impossible to cross the border between North Korea and South Korea, so, ironically, I took a flight back to China and I headed toward the North Korean border.

家族から離れた子供が中国で 暮らすのは過酷なことでした

Since my family couldn't speak Chinese, I had to guide them, somehow, through more than 2,000 miles in China and then into Southeast Asia.

どんな生活が脱北者を待ち受けているか

The journey by bus took one week, and we were almost caught several times.

全く見当がつきませんでした

One time, our bus was stopped and boarded by a Chinese police officer.

しかし すぐ気づきました 生活は極めて過酷で

He took everyone's I.D. cards, and he started asking them questions.

なおかつ非常に危険なものでした

Since my family couldn't understand Chinese, I thought my family was going to be arrested.

なぜならば中国では脱北者は

As the Chinese officer approached my family, I impulsively stood up, and I told him that these are deaf and dumb people that I was chaperoning.

不法移民として扱われるからです

He looked at me suspiciously, but luckily he believed me.

常に恐怖と隣り合わせの生活でした

We made it all the way to the border of Laos, but I had to spend almost all my money to bribe the border guards in Laos.

自分の身元が明らかになると

But even after we got past the border, my family was arrested and jailed for illegal border crossing.

北朝鮮に送還されて恐ろしい運命が

After I paid the fine and bribe, my family was released in one month, but soon after, my family was arrested and jailed again in the capital of Laos.

待っているのでした

This was one of the lowest points in my life.

そんなある日 最も恐れていたことが 起こりました

I did everything to get my family to freedom, and we came so close, but my family was thrown in jail just a short distance from the South Korean embassy.

私は中国の警察に捕えられ

I went back and forth between the immigration office and the police station, desperately trying to get my family out, but I didn't have enough money to pay a bribe or fine anymore.

尋問のため警察署に連行されたのです

I lost all hope.

私が北朝鮮人だと通報を受けた警察は

At that moment, I heard one man's voice ask me, "What's wrong?"

私の中国語能力をテストしました

I was so surprised that a total stranger cared enough to ask.

膨大な質問を浴びせられ

In my broken English, and with a dictionary, I explained the situation, and without hesitating, the man went to the ATM and he paid the rest of the money for my family and two other North Koreans to get out of jail.

あまりの恐怖に

I thanked him with all my heart, and I asked him, "Why are you helping me?"

心臓が破裂しそうでした

"I'm not helping you," he said.

もし少しでも疑いがあれば拘束され

"I'm helping the North Korean people."

強制送還されたことでしょう

I realized that this was a symbolic moment in my life.

もう おしまいだと思いました

The kind stranger symbolized new hope for me and the North Korean people when we needed it most, and he showed me the kindness of strangers and the support of the international community are truly the rays of hope we North Korean people need.

それでも全ての感情を何とか押さえて

Eventually, after our long journey, my family and I were reunited in South Korea, but getting to freedom is only half the battle.

質問に回答しました

Many North Koreans are separated from their families, and when they arrive in a new country, they start with little or no money.

そして全ての質問が終了すると

So we can benefit from the international community for education, English language training, job training, and more.

係官の一人が言ったのです

We can also act as a bridge between the people inside North Korea and the outside world, because many of us stay in contact with family members still inside, and we send information and money that is helping to change North Korea from inside.

“この通報は誤りだ

I've been so lucky, received so much help and inspiration in my life, so I want to help give aspiring North Koreans a chance to prosper with international support.

彼女は北朝鮮人ではない”

I'm confident that you will see more and more North Koreans succeeding all over the world, including the TED stage.

その結果 私は解放されました 奇跡でした

Thank you.

中国内の脱北者が亡命を求めて