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Jihyun Park (Korean: 박지현; born 1968) is a British-North Korean Conservative Party politician. She stood as the Conservative candidate as a councilor for the Moorside ward of Bury Metropolitan Borough Council.[1] Although she did not win, Park is the first known person of North Korean descent to stand for election in the United Kingdom.[2][3] Park is a North Korean defector, escaping twice from the country, with the first attempt in 1998 resulting in discovery and forced repatriation, and the second attempt in 2008 being successful, and resides in the U.K.[4] as a citizen.[2]

Early life

Park was born in North Korea in 1968.[5][6]

First defection

Park decided to leave North Korea in 1998 with her brother after being urged by her father. Her brother was thrown out of the military and military officials came looking for him. Park crossed the border and entered into China with her brother. A smuggler promised Park a "well-paid job", instead Park was sold for 5,000 Yuan[7] into a forced marriage with a farmer, with whom she had a child.[2]

Repatriation and imprisonment

Park was subsequently brought back into the prison camps, where she was forced to work on farms.[8]

Second defection

In year 2004, she again attempted defection, and eventually escaped from North Korea with help of a local broker through mountainous terrain. Once back in China, she stayed a few days in her former shelter, then fled to Beijing with her son, and this time hoped to get help from the South Korean embassy, but later returned back to the border.[8]

Citizenship

In 2008, she went to the United Kingdom as a refugee. Like many new refugees, she struggled initially with the English language and was unable to communicate with anyone for some time. She eventually gained citizenship and settled permanently.[7] She published a memoir, The Hard Road Out: One Woman's Escape from North Korea, in 2022.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Bruce, Andy (24 March 2021). "From prison camp to ballot box: North Korean defector seeks British election win". Reuters. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "North Korean defector Jihyun Park to stand in Bury local elections". BBC News. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  3. ^ George, Thomas (31 January 2021). "The incredible story of the North Korean defector aiming to be a Bury councillor". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  4. ^ Zuboff, Jen (28 October 2020). "In Conversation with Jihyun Park". Cherwell. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  5. ^ "How I Escaped North Korea Twice | Minutes With | UNILAD". Youtube. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Financial Times: "Lunch with the FT Jihyun Park", 23 September 2022". Financial Times. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  7. ^ a b "The last word: Jihyun Park, a North Korean refugee resettled in the UK | UNA-UK". una.org.uk. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  8. ^ a b "North Korean defector Jihyun Park looking to make democratic history in UK". ABC News. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  9. ^ Park, Jihyun Park; Chai, Seh-lynn (31 January 2023). "The Hard Road Out". HarperNorth. ISBN 978-0008541408.
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