Interviews with Han Nam-su

I would define freedom as human instinct. I think freedom refers to the right to lead a good life. Freedom also means guaranteeing the ability to think freely.

Freedom also refers to the right to vote, the right to dwell, the right to travel, and the right to express your thoughts; to be able to say something is wrong.

A society that does not guarantee this kind of freedom and a society that oppresses its people’s freedom is a dictatorship. I think in this sense, freedom is extremely important; I would dare say it’s the most important thing in life.

For me personally I believe the most important right is the right to vote; the freedom to vote.

After that would come the freedom to choose any occupation; to freely search and seek the job of which you’ve always dreamt.

Han Nam-su was destined for a life among North Korea’s elite. The son of a military officer, Han and his family were afforded privileges that ordinary North Koreans didn’t have.

Things changed after Han’s father commented on the country’s need for economic reform; he was instantly branded a traitor, tried in a military court, and executed. Han was subsequently expelled from his university and exiled to a remote corner of the country with his family.

On Christmas Eve, 1998, Han decided to leave North Korea and pursue a better life elsewhere. He crossed the frozen Tumen River into China and remained there for the next six years working various odd jobs. In 2004, Han escaped to South Korea where he started a new life in a free society.

Attending Sogang University, Han majored in Diplomacy and Political Science. While there, he decided to raise awareness of the human rights abuses happening in North Korea and founded the Young Defectors’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights. As the organization’s leader, Han works to empower North Korean defectors through trainings, seminars, forums, and various campaigns on democratic governance.