One bowl of rice between my malnourished disabled brother and myself. Pray I never have to make that decision, the tribulation this man has been through is unimaginable.
If your first thought, as shown by numerous comments, is why isn’t he speaking English you have completely neglected the true purpose of telling his story.. Plenty of British immigrants don’t speak the language of the place they live in so don’t judge.
@@davidgabriel5125 he probably speaks better english than you do korean, but its probably easier for him to speak in depth about his experiences in korean and then have it subtitled.
Very moving. This man has been through enough in life. I wish him and his family and entire North Korean defectors the best in whatever endeavour they do in their life.
The walruscat, over thirty thousand defectors in South Korea testified that most of them escaped because of starvation, freedom, and human rights. Do you think that many people want to leave their home if their home country provides these basics? I am Korean who live in US and I understand their homesickness especially when they had to leave without their own will. How sad people like you misunderstand and judge someone without any humanity.
Interesting documentary. For those who are interested, New Malden's actual nickname is 'Little Seoul' and is the largest Koreatown outside the US - as you can see, it's located quite a few miles away from central London, so many Koreans also live in Chinatown in London's West End. Unfortunately, the North Koreans tend to experience quite a lot of discrimination from the S. Koreans, but many claim to be better off than in S. Korea, as they can at least leave the Korean community whenever they please...
As usual Guardian team made the best documentary about human values. Everything: music, light, actors speech with pauses arranged creatively and professionally that impressing viewers deeply and even engage them. Thanks for that.
i agree. It really feels like you're there, living through their lives. I'm Korean living in Canada. My dad is a refugee from the North before the war started. His stories, same with my mom who lived through the war. My dad's storie of the escape of as a young boy is crazy (parents had to snuff any really young children when they were sneaking across the border that started to cry because that meant the whole family would get caught.. so you had to kill that one baby for your family to survive).
So stark, but the warmth of the ending is such a great contrast to tell this story. Thanks to people like him, with such humility and humbled passion, there is hope. This video needs more views... we could all stand to be more aware of what's happening to the people of North Korea instead of focusing solely on their leader's rhetoric.
Very tastefully done, i feel like im watching an art exhibition in a museum. The use of pink and the props as it meshes with he has to say. Good interview too
People escape from their country to live a LIFE. like a real life. He would have encountered that sorrow feeling of leaving his family and friends back in North Korea. Just living a life isn't easy for those people. I cheer for them as always.
Sir, I hate that you feel so much quilt! It’s by no means your fault! I’m so sorry your brother passed, and you shouldn’t blame your self at all for his passing. He was weak already, something deeper made you eat that rice, and I believe your meant to make a difference. It will happen, and in time. Please don’t ever give up hope! I see so much pain in your eyes, your children too can see when you hurt, or thinking about the past..I hope soon your able to not grieve so, stay happy and keep smiling. So much for you to do and for you to teach your children. I hate the thought of you being so sad, so often. Anyway, my brain is thinking faster then I can type here...lol I hope I made some kind of sense! Be happy, be thankful..oh so thankful, love your wife and children, and let the wind and life just move easily. I pray for your success and happiness!!
I'm speechless. I pray God will help all those poor NK victims to escape that hell-on-Earth once for all. These videos are LESSONS of life and courage we should or rather MUST learn from. ♡
beautifully done. he is very brave & a true inspiration thank you for sharing you story. wherever all your family is, i'm sure they are so proud of you. God bless you & your family.
In 2008 the Chinese forced all NK defectors back to NK in the run up to the Olympics. Many manged to get to other places by going via different countries, the majority to SK but for some SK was still the enemy in their minds so they went elsewhere, or they simply had not choice and took whatever opportunity they had.
It’s funny because I spent they last half of the video thinking about how he hadn’t smiled yet and that I want there to be a good ending somehow and then I get to the end and there was a bright smile after all :D
What an awesome video. I think Pyongyang is being modernised. With new airport, buildings, even road signs in English ... If they open up that would be a good thing. People now are not starving albeit many forget when the world places trade restrictions the people in the end suffer. This guy is brave and a good person. Love for his home land and doing his best. Good on him.
Andrew W Pyongyang is not North Korea in fact. People do still starve in the villages. I'm not even talking about the very common public executions and the consentration camps all over NK. Watch some other NK refugees' stories. Especially I recommend Asian boss channel. They have a whole playlist with interviews on various topics like school education, female rights etc
KyllieJay 46 the camps do exist and no one is saying that it isn't. The countryside is different, yes, however there are signs that capatalism is starting to happen. Albeit in limited areas usually close to the borders. The countryside before people were starving but that's hasn't happened in such a long time. Food rations are available to all people. Now the rations they do get may have the American flag printed on the packets as a donation but they are not taught the American flag so they don't know. Every country has a lot of good and bad thing. The people shouldn't be called bad as the people are good souls who are always happy to help you.
Interesting choice of format for the video....not sure how I would feel about it if I were him. The pain of feelibg you do not belong where you live....I wish the best to you and your family. 아저씨~ 리야기해 주셔서 감사합니다. 영국 생활이 자주 힘들지만 많이 수고하셨습니다. 저는 응원해주고 있습니다!!!! 아시다시피 갈 길이 있고 이 현실에 희망을 찾을 수 있습니다. 파이팅!
Interesting. He keeps his KOREAN culture and way of thinking just like we South Koreans do. It gets me sad that for a reason he was born in the north, he had to suffer from all.
I'm a Choi but all my family was lucky to be S. Koreans..... I can't imagine this. So great breaking but I. Feel SooOoo warm and close to this familys roots it fuckin hurts. Blessed to be born in the US but still man... My dna. My people. Fuck.
I suffer from the communication barrier with my parents so I hope he know I feel sadness about being unable to have an "in-depth" conversation with my parents and I am coming from the child side.
Respect to the NK refugees that escaped and able to make a life for themselves after, considering how vastly different everything was compared to their lives back in NK. They basically have to start from zero, learning everything. Just total respect.
A lot of defectors seem to have a lot of guilt about leaving behind their family and friends. It's very unfair for the regime to use one's family and loved one's as collateral. Too leave what little you have to start a new life with almost no knowledge of how society works abroad must also be very hard. I'm sure like anyone they miss some aspects of life back home.
Do they celebrate Seolnal or Chuseok at the end? I found this gathering strikingly similar to one I attended in Virginia Beach in 2015 before leaving for S.Korea.
Support organizations like Liberty in North Korea, which bring NK refugees out of China and provide support to them as they resettle in SK and the USA. Check out their website/social media. :)
Unfortunately not a whole lot for the people there, but you can support organisations which help defectors or (depending on where you live) even volunteer for them.
i love how it touched the important stuff straight forward to enlighten people more about being a north korean and break the common perception that all of them are evil btw i love the visual aesthetic on this video but i still dont support NK reign tbh
Unless you have become an immigrant to a country that speaks a completely different language and has a completely different culture you have no right to say which language he should speak in. You probably have NO idea what he had to do to cross the border just so that his future generation can have a better life -and- what he had to do to become a functional being in a foreign land. If learning a language is so simple for you, then why are you here complaining about him not speaking in english? Have you ever tried to learn a different language? Yet of course here you are, criticizing why you had to put an extra effort and read the subtitles instead of leisurely closing your eyes and listen to what he had to say in the language you prefer while you enjoy your potato chips, because of course this world revolves around you and only. (I'm sorry. I have NO empathy for the lazy people that use on-line platforms to justify their ignorances and lazynesss thinking that they are contributing to the advancement of the humanity.)
This is beautiful. These people deserve the world that they couldn't reach, but now they are safe and here. I love the north Korean people. Much love from Canada. We all love you North Koreans. We are all rooting for your safe return to civilization. North Korea will be free. When you have the time, watch Laibach the Slovenian band whom was the first foriegn music group to play in North Korea. They have a beautiful message everyone needs to see. I'm so proud to be Slovenian.
08:56 I find it interesting to see pictures of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-un in his home. I've read many stories about North Korean defectors living in South Korea and the West and none of them have expressed sympathy for the North Korean leaders since their escape. Perhaps it's for show to avoid possible repercussion on the community there and relatives still living in North Korea.
If he has a British passport, he could technically come back go to North-Korea as a tourist if he has enough money (but it's not a very clever idea though).
Descalzi Tao the issue is his passport will state the city her was born in. Plus a Korean name would present alarms for the DPRK. It's sad. I wish he could go back.
I've read a great deal about N.K. and most defectors go back because they can't adapt psychologically to having personal freedom. Suddenly they are no longer told what to think, wear, eat. They have to develop critical thinking skills in adulthood and that can be incredibly overwhelming. One defector I read about said that 10+ years after escaping she still feels a desperate nostalgia for "home". She left behind her entire family, life-long friends, colleagues, neighbours. Imagine leaving the West and moving to N.K... how desperately would you want the way of life you've only ever known back?
China still retains an alliance with North Korea despite changing Chinese public opinion. Any defectors caught in China are immediately deported back to North Korea. Any Chinese who are willing to rat out hiding North Korean defectors in China are rewarded a large sum of money as well.
Yupp,.. this would have been it. It would have been hard enough to escape by yourself, but to bring someone like an elder mom like that, their chance of escape is far less.
The sadness in his eyes...
A very touching documentary. Well done!
One bowl of rice between my malnourished disabled brother and myself. Pray I never have to make that decision, the tribulation this man has been through is unimaginable.
You can see the agony and sadness in his eyes. Poor man, he’s such a strong soul. I wish him peace
the story with the bowl of rice is heartbreaking.
Heartbreaking that he didnt share that bowl of rice
Yeah, sharing is the first thing I thought.... But, yes, heartbreaking...
Heartbreaking that he had to choose between himself and his brother. It is clearly still agonising for him.
Really well done.
Who directed this, and that intro? Wes Anderson??
I wish this was a series, reminds me so much of my time living in South Korea, people who like these people hold family above all else.
If your first thought, as shown by numerous comments, is why isn’t he speaking English you have completely neglected the true purpose of telling his story..
Plenty of British immigrants don’t speak the language of the place they live in so don’t judge.
They should do
@@James-sh8muyes before he fled NK he should have educated himself to speak perfect english.
Piss off
@@tmarritt no im on about the Asians
@@tmarritt well why didn't he since he came to england?
@@davidgabriel5125 he probably speaks better english than you do korean, but its probably easier for him to speak in depth about his experiences in korean and then have it subtitled.
Very moving. This man has been through enough in life. I wish him and his family and entire North Korean defectors the best in whatever endeavour they do in their life.
Interesting documentary, well made.
The walruscat, over thirty thousand defectors in South Korea testified that most of them escaped because of starvation, freedom, and human rights. Do you think that many people want to leave their home if their home country provides these basics? I am Korean who live in US and I understand their homesickness especially when they had to leave without their own will. How sad people like you misunderstand and judge someone without any humanity.
Heekyong Heitz, I hope you're doing well in America. Please forget about those idiots, they speak without thinking.
where in US are you? I'm in southern CA, let's hang out
Interesting documentary. For those who are interested, New Malden's actual nickname is 'Little Seoul' and is the largest Koreatown outside the US - as you can see, it's located quite a few miles away from central London, so many Koreans also live in Chinatown in London's West End. Unfortunately, the North Koreans tend to experience quite a lot of discrimination from the S. Koreans, but many claim to be better off than in S. Korea, as they can at least leave the Korean community whenever they please...
Moving film, beautifully made, very wise mad. Hopefully the Change will come!
Great production team behind this documentary, very well done!
actually tore a hole in my heart
What a beautiful and mind-opening story. Everyone should learn more about North Korea, and Korea, in general.
Beautiful story telling with heartbreaking stories, that he is still hopeful for a better future is inspiring.
Amazing journalism, I hope one day I can work along side with journalist like yourselves and bring light to stories such as these.
such a humble man
Such a strong and good man, all my respect to him
As usual Guardian team made the best documentary about human values. Everything: music, light, actors speech with pauses arranged creatively and professionally that impressing viewers deeply and even engage them. Thanks for that.
i agree. It really feels like you're there, living through their lives. I'm Korean living in Canada. My dad is a refugee from the North before the war started. His stories, same with my mom who lived through the war. My dad's storie of the escape of as a young boy is crazy (parents had to snuff any really young children when they were sneaking across the border that started to cry because that meant the whole family would get caught.. so you had to kill that one baby for your family to survive).
북에 있는 어머니 꼭 다시 만날수 있게 되기를 바랍니다. 행복하시기바랍니다
💜
So stark, but the warmth of the ending is such a great contrast to tell this story. Thanks to people like him, with such humility and humbled passion, there is hope. This video needs more views... we could all stand to be more aware of what's happening to the people of North Korea instead of focusing solely on their leader's rhetoric.
Very tastefully done, i feel like im watching an art exhibition in a museum. The use of pink and the props as it meshes with he has to say. Good interview too
The lot of the emmigrant is to always be stuck between what you've lost, and what you've found. You miss what was, but look forward to what will be.
The rice story broke my heart, I wish him and his family all the best going forward.
So well explained. I felt I understood the agony of his new life and the joy of his freedom x
Beautifully documented. Thank you so much
People escape from their country to live a LIFE. like a real life. He would have encountered that sorrow feeling of leaving his family and friends back in North Korea. Just living a life isn't easy for those people. I cheer for them as always.
Very brave
Sir, I hate that you feel so much quilt! It’s by no means your fault! I’m so sorry your brother passed, and you shouldn’t blame your self at all for his passing. He was weak already, something deeper made you eat that rice, and I believe your meant to make a difference. It will happen, and in time. Please don’t ever give up hope!
I see so much pain in your eyes, your children too can see when you hurt, or thinking about the past..I hope soon your able to not grieve so, stay happy and keep smiling. So much for you to do and for you to teach your children. I hate the thought of you being so sad, so often.
Anyway, my brain is thinking faster then I can type here...lol I hope I made some kind of sense! Be happy, be thankful..oh so thankful, love your wife and children, and let the wind and life just move easily. I pray for your success and happiness!!
5 years later, but this is still the most beautiful comment on youtube ❤️
the bowl rice part was hard to bear. Hopeness for a better future ever.
I'm speechless. I pray God will help all those poor NK victims to escape that hell-on-Earth once for all. These videos are LESSONS of life and courage we should or rather MUST learn from. ♡
Fantastic documentary. What a kind, good man. Delicious looking food!
I wish the documentary was longer.
beautifully done. he is very brave & a true inspiration thank you for sharing you story. wherever all your family is, i'm sure they are so proud of you. God bless you & your family.
Really powerful. What a strong guy.
This is really good. I'm glad that this man has the courage to speak about his past. 😄
The courage to speak about his past is nothing compared to the courage of leaving that hellhole of a country
That’s was a wonderfully put together piece. Heartbreaking and heartwarming.
Amazing story, thank you!
I still don't understand, why his mother had to go back. They didn't explain this point.
In 2008 the Chinese forced all NK defectors back to NK in the run up to the Olympics.
Many manged to get to other places by going via different countries, the majority to SK but for some SK was still the enemy in their minds so they went elsewhere, or they simply had not choice and took whatever opportunity they had.
Because she has a family there, it's a very difficult choice
너무나 익숙한 같은 언어, 한국말!
남에 살아도 북에 살아도 어디에 살아도 같은 우리의 말!❤️❤️❤️👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Badass director!
a heartwarming film!
It's sad when you have to escape the country where you born because of someone
Not because of someone, but because of the government that is in place to take care of you. That is the saddest part...
Dan Blănaru yeah. But I was trying to be generic, not just pointing out to the nk government
It's sarcasm. Like including republic in a dictatorship name
they should shipp him back , not very thankfull isn't it
Its all because of China. NK exists because of China. China = world cancer
Beautiful, thank you.
It’s funny because I spent they last half of the video thinking about how he hadn’t smiled yet and that I want there to be a good ending somehow and then I get to the end and there was a bright smile after all :D
What an awesome video. I think Pyongyang is being modernised. With new airport, buildings, even road signs in English ... If they open up that would be a good thing. People now are not starving albeit many forget when the world places trade restrictions the people in the end suffer.
This guy is brave and a good person. Love for his home land and doing his best. Good on him.
Andrew W Pyongyang is not North Korea in fact. People do still starve in the villages. I'm not even talking about the very common public executions and the consentration camps all over NK.
Watch some other NK refugees' stories. Especially I recommend Asian boss channel. They have a whole playlist with interviews on various topics like school education, female rights etc
KyllieJay 46 the camps do exist and no one is saying that it isn't. The countryside is different, yes, however there are signs that capatalism is starting to happen. Albeit in limited areas usually close to the borders.
The countryside before people were starving but that's hasn't happened in such a long time. Food rations are available to all people. Now the rations they do get may have the American flag printed on the packets as a donation but they are not taught the American flag so they don't know.
Every country has a lot of good and bad thing.
The people shouldn't be called bad as the people are good souls who are always happy to help you.
basing North Korea off Pyongyang is liking basing the world of the hunger games off the Capitol.
Interesting choice of format for the video....not sure how I would feel about it if I were him. The pain of feelibg you do not belong where you live....I wish the best to you and your family. 아저씨~ 리야기해 주셔서 감사합니다. 영국 생활이 자주 힘들지만 많이 수고하셨습니다. 저는 응원해주고 있습니다!!!! 아시다시피 갈 길이 있고 이 현실에 희망을 찾을 수 있습니다. 파이팅!
such a great video
My only wish is to have world peace. It does not matter that he is from north Korea. He is a human being.😭💔💔
incredible work
very nice piece of information. poor people
Really interesting, thank you
Interesting. He keeps his KOREAN culture and way of thinking just like we South Koreans do. It gets me sad that for a reason he was born in the north, he had to suffer from all.
The classical music at the end sounds Ethiopia. Love it
This video is very well directed
Excellent! More, more, more
I'm a Choi but all my family was lucky to be S. Koreans..... I can't imagine this. So great breaking but I. Feel SooOoo warm and close to this familys roots it fuckin hurts. Blessed to be born in the US but still man... My dna. My people. Fuck.
I don't understand why his mother had to back to North Korea?
Probably because otherwise spy's might try capture her and also she has to look after his brother and family
Love the sound in this...
I wanna hug him!
I suffer from the communication barrier with my parents so I hope he know I feel sadness about being unable to have an "in-depth" conversation with my parents and I am coming from the child side.
Subtitulado en Español por favor!!Gracias
What a phenomenal LAD
Amazing guy
Respect to the NK refugees that escaped and able to make a life for themselves after, considering how vastly different everything was compared to their lives back in NK. They basically have to start from zero, learning everything. Just total respect.
beautiful video.
What is with the tiny and narrowly spaced captions?!
A lot of defectors seem to have a lot of guilt about leaving behind their family and friends. It's very unfair for the regime to use one's family and loved one's as collateral. Too leave what little you have to start a new life with almost no knowledge of how society works abroad must also be very hard. I'm sure like anyone they miss some aspects of life back home.
Do they celebrate Seolnal or Chuseok at the end? I found this gathering strikingly similar to one I attended in Virginia Beach in 2015 before leaving for S.Korea.
God bless Korea.
I teach refugee kids in my community primarily from the ME and sub-saharan Africa. You can see the confusion yet excitement about moving to the US.
북에서 남으로 오신 분들을 '먼저 온 통일'이라고 하죠.
요즘 탈남하시는 분들도 많다고 하니 안타깝습니다.
뉴몰든 가보고 싶네요. 최중화 님, 오래 기억하겠습니다. 응원합니다~
좋은 영화 만들어주셔서 감사합니다.
멋진 비디오였습니다. 북한 여권을 가지고 합법적으로 런던에 입국하는 탈북자가 있는지 궁금합니다.
What can I do to make a change in north korea??
Make fun of Kim Jong Un. Don't buy Chinese cheap shit. Products manufactured in North Korean labour camps are branded as 'made in China'.
Nothing. You can, however, volunteer at ESL centres or organisations which support N.K. defectors living in the West.
Support organizations like Liberty in North Korea, which bring NK refugees out of China and provide support to them as they resettle in SK and the USA. Check out their website/social media. :)
Nothing. You could help the suffering people in your own town instead.
Unfortunately not a whole lot for the people there, but you can support organisations which help defectors or (depending on where you live) even volunteer for them.
i love how it touched the important stuff straight forward to enlighten people more about being a north korean and break the common perception that all of them are evil btw i love the visual aesthetic on this video but i still dont support NK reign tbh
I hope he is allowed to return
incredible.
I am white English and I'm very proud and happy to live in this area with my Korean neighbours best immigrant you could ever live with is Korea.
I 🙏❤️ that there is a healthy change for the entire community of North Korea 🇰🇵 people. 💔😭 for the suffering
why such a pink setting ? i don't get it
yeah i know.
몰랐던 사실이었네요.
한국외 탈북민이 가장 많은 곳이 영국이었다니.
Unless you have become an immigrant to a country that speaks a completely different language and has a completely different culture you have no right to say which language he should speak in. You probably have NO idea what he had to do to cross the border just so that his future generation can have a better life -and- what he had to do to become a functional being in a foreign land. If learning a language is so simple for you, then why are you here complaining about him not speaking in english? Have you ever tried to learn a different language? Yet of course here you are, criticizing why you had to put an extra effort and read the subtitles instead of leisurely closing your eyes and listen to what he had to say in the language you prefer while you enjoy your potato chips, because of course this world revolves around you and only. (I'm sorry. I have NO empathy for the lazy people that use on-line platforms to justify their ignorances and lazynesss thinking that they are contributing to the advancement of the humanity.)
I'd love to see more of North Kore but ...
How did he escape to UK?
Well, he has told me that he first escaped to.. China? Then he worked his way to the United Kingdom, got a job and lived his life there.
awesome
영국에 환영합니다~!
This is beautiful. These people deserve the world that they couldn't reach, but now they are safe and here. I love the north Korean people. Much love from Canada. We all love you North Koreans. We are all rooting for your safe return to civilization. North Korea will be free. When you have the time, watch Laibach the Slovenian band whom was the first foriegn music group to play in North Korea. They have a beautiful message everyone needs to see. I'm so proud to be Slovenian.
08:56 I find it interesting to see pictures of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-un in his home. I've read many stories about North Korean defectors living in South Korea and the West and none of them have expressed sympathy for the North Korean leaders since their escape. Perhaps it's for show to avoid possible repercussion on the community there and relatives still living in North Korea.
IF the regiment fall , TWO MILLION NORTH KOREAN WILL BE IN THE UK
I think that is a set and is not his real home. The pink rooms look nothing like his actual dining room that you can see everyone eating at 05:34
❤️❤️❤️
If he has a British passport, he could technically come back go to North-Korea as a tourist if he has enough money (but it's not a very clever idea though).
Descalzi Tao the issue is his passport will state the city her was born in. Plus a Korean name would present alarms for the DPRK. It's sad. I wish he could go back.
The pain of a son, a brother, a father highlights how vicious the regime is. It needs total dismantling of its affairs.
His Korean accent seems a South Korean variant.
BIG UP NEW MALDEN STILL
why that music ? are you are trying to influence ( manipulate ) people watching the video ??
Why didnt he just share that bowl of rice..
Why his mom didn't stayed in China with him?
I've read a great deal about N.K. and most defectors go back because they can't adapt psychologically to having personal freedom. Suddenly they are no longer told what to think, wear, eat. They have to develop critical thinking skills in adulthood and that can be incredibly overwhelming. One defector I read about said that 10+ years after escaping she still feels a desperate nostalgia for "home". She left behind her entire family, life-long friends, colleagues, neighbours. Imagine leaving the West and moving to N.K... how desperately would you want the way of life you've only ever known back?
China still retains an alliance with North Korea despite changing Chinese public opinion. Any defectors caught in China are immediately deported back to North Korea. Any Chinese who are willing to rat out hiding North Korean defectors in China are rewarded a large sum of money as well.
Yupp,.. this would have been it. It would have been hard enough to escape by yourself, but to bring someone like an elder mom like that, their chance of escape is far less.
No hate, but he reminds me of the actor from Dark Knight..
whose system is unsustainable?????