David is from Hamhung in North Korea. When he was younger, he was a footballer and later joined the North Korean army. In the army, David was deployed to the front lines and crossed the DMZ to South Korea in 2012. He graduated from university in South Korea and currently works as PR manager for North Korean human rights organization NAUH.
An escapee writes about the materials he used to learn and how his English skills were put to the test in South Korea
A defector writes about being forced to work even as an elementary school student and the trauma it left him with
A defector writes about his training schedule and the hurdles he faced trying to represent his country
David, who defected in 2012, writes about discovering the joys of self-expression through his work as a YouTuber
A DPRK escapee talks about encountering people who question his testimony and how he learned to embrace his past
A defector shares what DPRK taught him about equality and how living in South Korea has shaped his views on capitalism
The DPRK extols its ‘victory’ in Korean War, but ordinary soldiers must confront harsh reality of potential conflict
Without friends or family, one defector reached a breaking point before resolving to build a life he could be proud of
New columnist David writes about the challenges of army life and how a South Korean leaflet convinced him to defect
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