Thank you NYT for highlighting a young woman willing to put her life on the line to remind us that the ”emperor’s new clothes” are most certainly our own fantasies, not the reality of starving children and murdered families.
1
Yeonmi Park, don't hold your breath, trump does not read, knows nothing about world history, he's soulless and cares less about anyone except money, bimbos and himself.
Wait...he DELIBERATELY starves them? That's not just a result of bad economic policy?! The whole starvation thing is INTENTIONAL? I have to admit it, you got me convinced. I've heard of genocide, assasination, Gestapo-like agencies, and concentration camps, but DELIBERATELY starving your populace?! That's a whole new level!!!
1
Exquisite video of Yeonmi Park, young D.P.R.K. defector, comparing the tyrant (her one time "God"), Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un to Hitler. We await the reality TV moments of the meeting of our supreme leader, Donald Trump (72), with young Kim (38) in Singapore tonight in the coming hours. A reality TV moment that will affect thousands of lives on the north and south sides of the Military Demarcation Line that was established at the Armistice of the Korean War in 1953. It's morning in Singapore!
1
Yeonmi is so right. Kim Jong-un is polishing his international image at the expense of Trump and the United States. This is the guy who stared down President Trump during his tirades about hell fire, utter destruction and rocket man. To add an exclaimation point to the fecklessness of Washington, the North Koreans popped off another unloaded ICBM. The president blinked. He got beat by a punk. A year later and the president of the United States, still the most powerful man of the most powerful nation on earth will be staring into the eyes of evil. Regardless of the outcome Kim Jong-un will achieve super-god status while the image of the United States will be diminished particularly among two-bit thug dictators the world over. The perception of the United States will be the strangest transformation from guard dog to lap dog.
2
Thank you, Ms. Park. Kim's record is clear. President Trump is negotiating for long-term nuclear disarmament while allowing this appalling dictatorship to continue its torture of the Korean people. Kim will not disarm. He has shown that repeatedly. By talking to Trump he is not only sanitizing his image, he is making the U.S. appear to give its approval to his daily practices of human rights abuse. The analogy to Neville Chamberlain and Hitler is apt--and I say this as a Jew who lost a large piece of her family in the Holocaust.
Of course, our President has already declared his approval of the use of torture and the legislature has approved a CIA director who used torture. Perhaps an endorsement of Kim's methods is exactly what Trump intends.
1
I want Ms. Yeonmi Park to be the American Ambassador to North Korea, if that ever comes about. How do we make that happen?
When the inmates in the German death camps heard aircraft overhead more frequently, and heard distant artillery creeping ever closer, they knew liberation must be soon at hand. No such signs of hope are reaching the inmates of the North Korean death camps.
1
she is an authentic witness, and the N.Korean leader is a monster, but that does not mean a few words even from the US President can change things ... only some kind of internal convulsion as in Eastern Europe can shake their cage open
1
Many of the so far twenty comments are surprisingly cold. Their authors would say realist.
This is one time when an analogy to Hitler is well taken. All over Hamburg and Berlin (where I am now) are commemorative stones reminding everyone of the victims, some of who got out like Ms. Park, and most who did not. Friday my wife's family lays six in Berlin.
4
Well, Trump hasn't concern himself with human rights in say Gaza, why would he start with North Korea?
I commend Ms. Park for her bravery and courage to speak out and remind us what is happening behind the closed doors
Of North Korea. She took a first step in exposing the horrific treatment of the citizens of North Korea. Unfortunately, the parallels with Nazi Germany she presents are all too true.
Would Trump have sat down with Hitler and had diplomatic discussions. Of course not, Hitler had one aim, to take over the world and foster his Aryan race at the expense of millions of people. Today, in North Korea, citizens are starving, citizens are placed in gulags for speaking out against the regime and tortured. North Koreans do not know what freedom is. One person speaking out is a great start, at great sacrifice to her. To all those people who say it will not make a difference I say one voice can turn into millions of voices if given the chance. Trump has a golden opportunity to express this to North Korea’s leader. Instead, photo ops, multiple hand shakes and “talks” about denuclearization. What about the poor people of North Korea?
2
The sad, pathetic reality is that Trump will not listen. More than any other leader before him, this is very much a photo op for him to boost his own image and nothing more. He cares nothing for the common American other than how much adoration and chaos he can rile from us, much less North Koreans. Kim Jong-Un has the best hand right now. A liberal South Korean president who's willing to let bygones be bygones for the sake of reunification and an idiotic American president who's easily swayed by praise and money? Kim Jong-Un would be foolish to not seize on this golden opportunity to remain in power.
Do you think President Trump is milking this situation for his own vanity, firing up his base, maybe he thinks there is a Nobel at the end or something else that is rattling around under his crown? I hope he does pull a rabbit out of this hat and not end up taking us down a rabbit hole. RAW
Poor Ms.Park, you have no idea what you are up against. The US president could not care less about you or any one from North Korea or even the United States. He is into this all for himself, his ratings and his celebrity. The only reason he is in Singapore is to appease his base. He could not care less about anyone else. He is clueless, brainless and heartless. That make him as much of a dictator as Kim Jung Un. Your message is powerful but your audience of two is deaf. Sorry!
2
Horrible things happen in the name of war, and as well in the name of peace.
There is no excusing what happened in the name of Hitler, Mao, Stalin, the Khmer Rouge, and even Kim Jong-Un.
Trump is a man of little to no moral fiber or compunction. This is all about his petty little ego. Trump is willing to completely overlook human rights issue in the name of favorable publicity. The same could be said of Joseph Kennedy and Charles Lindbergh.
Politicians who put personal gain above moral truths should be shunned and quickly forgotten.
1
It is telling that president trump walked out of the G-7 meetings early. This was held in our neighboring country of Canada. He left insulting everyone. And, these are our allies. His ultimate goal was to get Russia re-instated to become the G-8. Russia was kicked out because it illegally invaded another country. Get that... ILLEGALLY invaded another country. Obama put sanctions in place, trump wants to get rid of them. Then we have North Korea. An outlier country with a leader who has imprisoned Americans and killed anyone who he deems against him. This is who trump is supporting. A dictator. This is who trump wants to be... a dictator. Watch out America.
3
Regarding Russia, our engineered coup in Ukraine probably made them angry. Just sayn'.
If only negative comments about Trump were votes. :/
Yeonmi Park, I wish we had better news for you today, but we don't. Donald Trump will ask for nothing regarding Human Rights concessions, because he too really does not care about anything except the photo op. and sanitizing his own image.
So, yes, Kim Jong Un and Trump are very much alike and will get along great. It will be just like when you are seven: nothing will change in North Korea, except the Kim family will get richer; he will stop testing his nukes and hide them somewhere safe, somewhere secret. We will all watch in horror as Kim Jong Un takes complete and absolute advantage of Trump to get exactly what he wants, because, even if Trump realizes he's being duped, he won't care because he loves everything that Kim represents.
You see, Trump is the kind of person who has shown time and again that he's fine with stealing people's money, lying, and enriching himself at the taxpayer expense. He even finds this behavior amusing. I'm still incredibly disappointed that so many Americans still cannot see this moral vacuum at Trump's core, or worse, don't care. Unlike North Korea, however, we at least have a good chance of getting rid of our autocratical criminal in four to eight years.
Maybe then, a real President will emerge, and we will finally get something done for people who suffer in ignorance the abuse and hatred of amoral human parasites, like Kim Jong Un and Trump.
1
First Central and South America, Mexico, Syria, North Africa . . . . Now North Korea. The lines are shorter at Disneyland. Some rides you just have to walk away from. Trump is there to talk about a bomb.
Sorry, but it's more important to avoid nuclear war.
Ms Park, your sentiments are noble, but you must understand who Donald Trump is. He is not a compassionate or caring human being, but rather a self promoting sociopath, to whom other people mean nothing. He does not care any more about the millions of suffering North Koreans than he does about the hundreds of millions of Americans he lies to everyday. To him, North Korea is a photo op, not a nation of people.
2
While I certainly understand why Ms. Park feels the way she does, it is beyond the scope of America's abilities to change the Kim regime and replace it with a regime more like the one in South Korea. We have tried to destroy and then rebuild states elsewhere throughout the world and only have broken states, trillions spent and thousands of American lives lost to show for this.
With respect to the Hitler analogy, western nations did not stand up to Hitler until it became absolutely clear that he had an insatiable appetite to conquer territory from our western allies. Mr. Kim has not taken any steps to take over our allies' territories through military means. Unfortunately, until then, our best position is try to reduce the likelihood of the use of nuclear weapons.
1
She is living proof that her request is the right path.
She is proof that one should always insist on Human Rights regardless of how dire the circumstance seems.
The DPRK is no threat to us. They are a threat to their neighbors. We would exterminate them in a couple days if they attacked a neighbor or us. El Trumpo has been played by China and Russia in this as the DPRK is on the verge of a collapse like the USSR in 1989. Now El Trumpo has saved them and China and Russia who created the DPRK can go on using them as a proxy to keep us at least partly diverted with their antics.
The Kim family is worse than Hitler or Stalin or Mao. They have probably killed more people than all three in the years since 1954. They have no compassion or compunction about torture and abuse as we saw in Otto Warmbeir.
1
Admirable young woman, and an incredible story. Unfortunately, as this will probably not be shown by the nimrods on Fox and Friends, Trump will neither hear nor see this critical message.
3
I doubt the “monitors” will allow a post that disagrees with the liberal mindset - but we’ll try.
I don’t care - South Korea can exist - or not - based on its own money and its own willingness to fight the communists.
I’m tired of American lives and American treasure being spent to defend and subsidize countries that take our jobs and compete for our international customers.
How stupid are Americans to pay to defend their competitors, so those “allies” can use their money to bury us ?
Amazing.
Everyone calling for the US to defend its ally South Korea: You are standing in line to join the military and ask to be stationed in Korea, right?
Or maybe your daughters, sons and siblings are doing so. Certainly a worthwhile cause. you betcha.
How does a human being become so inhumane to his own people? How do dictators look in the mirror or sleep at night? What a stench these low life leave in their paths. The girl in the video is pleading to a low life. Very Sad.
1
I hope Ms Park isn’t in the United States - if she ever were, Trump would likely send her back to North Korea.
1
Yeonmi Park ,I'm so glad that you were able to escape for the harsh conditions of North Korea and am so sorry that you had to witness such cruelty, death and strife. What a courageous and moving appeal, you make here. As many comment here, unfortunately we don't have a (so called) President who truly cares about anyone else but himself, his own enrichment and those who can be enriched by supporting his power. These are two leaders, who are both unpredictable and unreliable. Trump is an experts at one thing, it seems, lying. And Kim Jung Un, doesn't seem to be such a good guy if he starves his people, kills relatives to consolidate power, and imprisons many to labor camps. Unfortunately our President is so unlike any we have ever had. It is scary and so very discouraging as the integrity of our democracy seems to be at great risk. Of course we don't know what will come out of this summit but I doubt human rights will be at the heart of these talks or even close. I experience Trump to be a sick, selfish, man, who doesn't really serve the people or the United States. He doesn't listen and learn to people. I feel we are really stuck with him and the only lift into hope will be when he is gone. Meanwhile thanks to the many sincere vigilant Presidents prior to Trump, we have some lasting stability. Hopefully it will last long enough...
1
If only I still believed in America as much as Ms. Park does.
1
Impressive and perfect message! Well done!
Courageous and spot on.
Trump has been telegraphing to all dictators that as long as you flatter me or have possible nice real estate deals for my family business, you're free to do whatever you want to your people (and others), see the unconditional support for and taking directions from the Saudi Rulers.
1
China is backing Kim's Dictatorship by supplying essential items secretly to beat the trade embargo just like they did to Viet-congs during the Vietnam War. If Kim can bestow lavish gifts to Trump like the Saudi Monarch, he may even kiss him on both cheeks and declare Kim to be America's best friend. I sincerely hope that one day both North and South Korea can reunite so they don't become pawns in the hands of super powers.
Sorry, not sure where to say what seems so so so obvious: ANY U.S. president could've had a one on one with the leader of NK. Any U.S. president could come up with some whatever agreement with NK. For Trump, this is low hanging (but essentially change-nothing) fruit, which he seeks to make something out of. Why, why, why, why, why is anyone making out of this summit? It is so frustrating to see how the U.S. media is being so played by Trump. You guys look like dupes to a bench (at best) player. How Trump turned his incredible weakness into a apparent strength is perhaps a comment on where we are as a nation. I weep.
2
You ain’t a white Christian from a red state, so trump don’t care what you think.
45
Reading some of the brutally callous comments here, I'm reminded of something R. Lee Ermey said, to the effect that in order to be a good Marine drill sergeant one has to be a good actor, because nobody's really that nasty. So I'm suspicious of such a concentration of "stop whining" sentiment.
Speaking of concentration, I recommend this book for further insight into life in North Korea: "Escape from Camp 14" by Blaine Harden.
http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy1506/2011037555-s.html
Trump said he didn't prepare for the meeting with Kim and he doesn't read briefing materials, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't learn about this country that he has now embraced. (Actually, it demands that we do.)
This is a much-needed statement of just what a monster Kim Jong-un is. But, as we all know, Trump could care less about human rights. He just craves attention. That's why he agreed to meet this brutal dictator without getting any concessions. Sadly, most Americans don't care, either.
And we all know that Kim won't give up his nukes. That's the only reason he gets respect and hugs from the craven South Korean president.
The U.S. is rapidly losing its moral authority in the world, and by the time Trump is finished, there probably will not be any left.
1
You have no idea how much I love this lady. Her memoir In Order To Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom (available on amazon etc) is one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful books about the strength and courage to overcome more hardships in a day than most face in a year. She should be the main voice in the media on this topic. Kim is a terrible man and part of a terrible family. By appeasing him we are all complicit in the starvation and torture of many who, by the Grace of God, we are lucky enough not to be one of. The media, instead of talking Trump/Russia/etc should be talking about what matters most, that is human life. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, we know the cost of everything and the value of nothing and that which we have lost value of most is that of human life. Thank you, Ms. Park for being a light in the darkness of the world.
Trump is NOT the person to push for human rights, since he only cares about himself, though I believe this was a good start. I think Kim is sincere about his economy, but not sure if he'd ever grant humans rights - many there would like to overthrow him.
When are people going to face the facts? Trump doesn't care about Kim's human rights abuses. He doesn't have a problem with Kim's style of governing. As a matter of fact, Trump and Kim are kindred spirits. Trump idolizes Kim and wants to use North Korea's regime as a model for his own. Trump regards Russia, Turkey and North Korea as our allies while he considers France, Canada and the UK his enemies. He allows himself to be swayed by China's dictator, but the democratic leadership of Germany can do nothing to persuade him. We are looking at a new world order: an axis of third world dictators at war against the free republics of the developed world. Trump and Kim are fully aware that their alliance of dictators is led by Xi and Putin; America and North Korea will always be junior partners, but Trump and Kim don't care as long as their allies grant them absolute power over their own respective nations.
2
Thank you, Ms. Park, for sharing your plea and your experiences with us, reminding Americans of the extremes of North Korea's dictators and the terrible price paid by its citizens. With the world spotlight on your country -- human rights have to be foremost in discussions by all parties.
5
I noted that she called Trump "a leader of the free world" instead of "the leader of the free world who is the powerful and wonderful leader the world has ever seen." Sorry, she is not paying the price of admission.
3
Present day people run away from their poorly governed countries instead of changing them from within. Changing politics is hard to do but the Western world cannot accommodate billions. People must accept, without complaint, western military intervention on their behalf à la Iraq or fight for their own liberty. This constant emigration towards the west is unsustainable in fact and practice.
2
They cannot make change from"within" when every move, every action, every word is monitored. When you are sitting in a jail cell for expressing your ideas and sentiments for change, that word goes nowhere, it is silenced. For the most part, an activist is most effective when they have freedom of speech.
11
"Now is not the time for photo opportunities, but rather strong actions".
Then what, exactly?
"Peaceful" actions like sanctions targeted against the whole country (because there is no way to target them more specifically to those in power) have had no effect until now, and there is little to no hope that they would ever be efficient. Does Ms. Park believe that an open hot war will ease the situation of her compatriots trapped on the peninsula? And what about the southern half of the nation? Is she ready to sacrifice them if something goes wrong?
Diplomacy must start from a readiness to talk and find a way out of the stalemate. Should Mr Trump punch Kim in the face before or after their conversation? Shaking hands and posing for photos is a part of a much more civilized and efficient ritual.
3
Avoiding war is a humanitarian issue, so is the suffering of North Koreans. If we are really compassionate, the latter should be the main point Mr. Trump should make in the discussions with Mr. Kim. The denuclearization which anyway takes a long time if Kim ever intend to comes next.
5
I am so tired of people coming to America and making their big brave statements. Go to NK and fight. We have our own battles to fight and it's time people man/woman up and go fight for the countries they are so concerned about.
People in this country have faced dogs, water hoses, brutality, jail, guns, tanks and death in fighting for their rights. All I see in NK and other countries are people just taking it or fleeing. Then they come here to mouth off and tell us what we should do to help them.
If we interfere then they blame us for interfering, if we don't interfere they blame us for not interfering. Enough already, take care of your own problems.
2
Many have fought and died to protect our freedoms. We are lucky to be Americans and should never take it for granted.
8
Yes.
But does that mean you're joining the military to defend S. Korea? Perhaps clise relarives will do so.
Unfortunately, this woman's plea will fall on deaf ears. Our current commander in chief has no interest in democratic ideals, human rights or freedoms. His interests, behavior and professed interests skew authoritarian.
32
Trump is not concerned about his own country people's security of the person: guns, health care, living wage jobs, the environment, housing, education...why would he care about the citizens of a foreign nation.
2
I sympathize, but Rome wasn't built in a day.
2
And Rome wasn’t built by visiting South America.
This was very powerful! Unfortunately, Trump is moving the US toward an authoritarian country while the GOP does nothing.
13
Trump wishes he could do the same things to his detractors that Kim does. She is a remarkable, brave young lady, but her message will fall on deaf ears.
23
I am sure N Korea is dictatorial, but much of this is understandable: The more a nation is attacked, the less mindful it is of civil liberties. A scad of our liberties were erased by the Patriot Act after 9/11, when 3000 Americans died. But 20 million Russians died because of fascism in World War Two; ergo, their limitations on civil liberties is understandable. Likewise, N Korea suffered egregious harm from Japan and the US, but space limitations prevent my discussion of same.
The accuracy of the refugee's report is in doubt.
For example: Immediately before Gulf War One, in 1990, women testified, before either a Senate or House Committee, that they had seen Iraqi soldiers take Kuwaiti babies out of incubaters; later is was revealed that the witnesses were paid by the US government and that their contentions were dubious or wrong.
After Pearl Harbor, we summarily trashed the civil rights of those of Japanese extraction and consigned them to camps.
During the Vietnam War, N Vietnam was portrayed as a Communist dictatorship with no freedom. However, in "Behind Enemy Lines," Harrison Salisbury of the New York Times said that a huge % of N Vietnam people had guns -- perhaps because the govt. wanted them to be able to repel an invasion, and because the govt did not fear insurrection as American bombing made the N Vietnamese more steadfast in fighting America.
One man's virulent dictatorship is another man's valiant, valorous cause fighting fascism.
3
Unfortunately, Yeonmi Park is wrong: we have no power to tell trump anything. He will meet this man, allow Kim to sanitize his image as was done at prior meetings, and nothing will change. trump will throw money at him, which he can use to fund his bank account or invest in a trump hotel, for false promises of "denuclearization" which trump accused Iran of violating when he cancelled that agreement.
I apologize in advance.
For Americans, please vote in November, assuming an election is still allowed in the US.
27
Whatever is promised, look at who is promising it. How likely is it that any promises will be kept?
17
Yeonmi, Kim Jong Un's time is up. Pre conditions or concessions aren't necessary. Kim either joins President Trump in peace or not for the sake of his survival and his country's survival.
The status quo and the continuation on his past actions is over. Hope for success.
4
Such an articulate young woman, with a heart-rending story to tell and sage advice. But we all know Trump will never hear or heed anyone's counsel except his own!!
32
Beautifully spoken & revealing but will it ever reach Trump? Is this the first time it's been aired -- mere hours before the Kim-Trump meeting?
She ought to be invited to give many such public addresses. In English, yes. She does that beautifully notwithstanding comments to the contrary.
11
She could whip up the crowd.
Brave. Intelligent. Articulate. I sincerely hope President Trump listens.
11
This was a powerful message. Thank you for making this video. I just hope it reaches its intended audience.
34
Generally, I love LOVE NYT's videos. But this one I have to give a thumbs down on.
My biggest complaint is that Ms. Park should have given her opinion in her own language, even if she is fairly fluent in English.
Her English still lacks a certain level of ability to emphasize and convey certain nuances experienced. In other words, she sounded rote and trained. Like regurgitating American propaganda about North Korea.
11
I disagree heartily with your assessment. Ms. Park's objective was to be understood by the American president and by Americans, few of whom speak Korean. As anyone who has studied a second language knows, Ms. Park is clearly understandable linguistically. As anyone with compassion knows, her recommendations are the result of her horrific personal experiences of living under a morally corrupt dictator. Be glad that you have not endured such tortures, and kindly take the time to listen carefully to her plea.
6
Sounded perfectly fluent to me.
If she had made the video speaking Korean and had it subtitled it would have lacked the power it has.
She didn't sound "rote" or "trained."
And given that she lived through the horror of North Korea and has written a memoir and is a member of the Human Rights Foundation, there is no reason to believe she is either.
Starvation isn't a very nuanced thing, nor are assassinations and prison camps.
I wonder why you are so critical of her?
12
You write a response that is classic privilege. How unfortunate you feel a right to judge a victim of the evil of a dictator. She is speaking to you, in your language, but you can't get beyond how she speaks? What a privileged existence you must lead.
Just like when Trump moved the embassy to Jerusalem without getting any concessions from Israel, so too will he legitimize the North Korean dictator without getting anything in return, whether one considers denuclearization or human rights. The Art of the Deal? More like a passage from P.T. Barnum: "There's a sucker born every minute."
22
"so too will he legitimize the North Korean dictator"
As far as I know, there is no other recognized government of N. Korea.
You're right, Paul. Interesting that in both instances, Sheldon Adelson was the one who benefited: he wanted to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem on Trump's first day in office, and Mr. Kim did a wonderfully enthusiastic photo op at Mr. Adelson's hotel yesterday.
The most powerful presidency money can buy.
1
Kim would be more interested than Trump.
1
How about Trump asking to allow N. Koreans to cross the border into S. Korea without NK soldiers at them?
11
Uh, I meant that Trump should ask why NK *shoots* at citizens who try to cross the border. How is the confinement of NK citizens in their country normal in any way, shape, or form? Mr. Trump, tear down THAT wall.
1
This is a great message to Donald Trump.
...and to the American people.
12
Yeonmi Park, only the lost souls of our planet do not care about testimonies such as yours and may all the civilized nations across the borders rise in unison and fight to put an end to these global atrocities that afflict humanity. It was courageous of you to tell us what is happening, and we will renew our efforts to strive to do better in the face of evil.
In each man's way lies the shadow of a beast, but in the end we are much the same, and while our feet at times may rest in the gutter, we always look to the stars for hope and inspiration.
9
Ms. Park is brave for speaking out. More people around the world need to hear her stories. Sadly, the current sociopolitical climate of America is so fractured, our representatives are so compromised, and our democratic institutions so dismantled that We The People no longer have the voice she implores us to use to demand that our president take action against this dictator. In fact, we now have a budding dictator of our own in Trump.
Another problem (which I'm sure others will comment on) is that Trump seem to doesn't care. And I believe he doesn't even possess the ability to care. There are some people in the world (often referred to as psychopaths, sociopaths, narcissists) whose brains are neurologically different than most people's. Parts of their brains are not working properly. They are incapable of emotions like guilt, sympathy, empathy and compassion. They understand intellectually, for example, that other people think murder and torture is wrong, but they personally don't understand why. It's not that they don't care. It's that they are cannot care.
It's impossible to make someone like this understand that human rights abuses are immoral in the same way it's impossible to make someone who is colorblind see the color red. It's impossible to make the dictators of the world understand how their actions are immoral let alone criminally insane.
20
Yes, it may be impossible to convince a morally corrupt person of the necessity of being compassionate, but we are not powerless to vote such people out of office. They do not represent the majority of our neighbors either within our country or around the world. Being compassionate requires showing up, speaking up, and voting for to elect responsible, knowledgeable, ethical people to represent us.
5
Mr. Trump has no love, mercy, or even decency to anyone but himself.
15
I reckon he's meeting with the North Korea guy to find out how he stays in power - pretty sure Trump would like to do just that !
1. crush all dissent
2. destroy the free press
3. eliminate the rule of law (except when it suits you)
4. work out how to stack elections so you get re-elected
etc.
Trump, of course, will never see this video. Not that it will be hidden from him, he just will not spend two and a half minutes listening to the truth. His brain shuts down when he's exposed to the truth and he resorts to bullying, bluster, lies.
You are a courageous lady, Ms Park. It is very possible you have put your young life in great danger by doing this, and do not expect Donald Trump to expend an ounce of effort to assure your physical safety.
17
The problem is this: Donald Trump does not care about anyone on this earth except for himself. Every single thing he does is for one purpose only: his own self aggrandizement.
He has no empathy for people he knows; he has betrayed every single person including wives and children. He has no real friends. No real connections. He definitely won't have empathy for "plebeians" he doesn't know.
He admires people known for human rights abuses: Putin. Duarte. Now Kim. Why? Because absolute power--dominion over others--is the only currency he cares about.
He is a bad man. A small spirit. A predator. An empty vessel.
But even if he wasn't those things, he is some others:
He is incompetent.
He is not particularly bright.
He does not have a high IQ but he also lacks a high EQ. He has high narcissistic and predatory skills, but he lacks the brain capacity for empathy, nuance, and consensus builder.
I cannot rage sufficiently against him because it goes up into the ether. He has no accountability and his ego is his only concern.
But.
I will never ever ever forgive the Republican leadership for every last bit of this.
67
Perhaps Trump will not care for this message, as other readers commented, but other Americans will take note. In these darker times, it is incumbent on ordinary folks to remind others about decency and basic norms of conduct.
18
Ironic how this young womanis more worldly, wiser, and justifiably wary of the North Korean dictator than our "Deal Leader" is.
23
She has suffered, which counts for much wisdom.
1
Trump doesn't care about human rights and neither does Kim Jong-un. Trump wants to build a hotel and make money. Kim Jong-un wants to keep it's nukes and unify with the south to make more money. What could go wrong?
9
This is why past presidents would never have consented to a meeting. But blame for making Kim Jong-il look like a great guy on the world stage must be shared with South Korea.
9
Maybe South Korea is doing whatever it can to make the paeninsula nuke free.
Trump cares about human rights only to the extent that he can curtail those of others for his own profit. He cares not a fig for the rights of any human in North Korea, and he never will. That is the monster slightly less than 40% of American voters elected and an entire Republican Congress is enabling.
39
Way to miss the point. DPRK is a hermit kingdom, ruled by one family since its inception. Concentration camps house hundreds of thousands who endure unspeakable horrors for decades. Do you think say, Hillary Clinton (or any other US politician) would've solved - because she "cares" about human rights in North Korea - any one of those issues? Trump has little, if anything to do with the internal politics of North Korea, whether he understands its inner workings - or not. Your myopic and insular hatred of Trump, appearing to be your only focus, isn't productive or even enlightening.
3
God even trump supporters miss the point. We know that trump is only after his moment in the sun. What else can he possibly achieve? Kim however now has the blessing of the United States. Have you any idea how those optics are worthless to any person, past or present, who has personal experience of Kim Jon-N.
Levon, Ralph is right. Trump is doing this for his ego. Not for altruistic reasons.
What's the expression progressive's use?
Oh yeah, red meat for the Resistance.
We haven't the power, nor do his own lackeys, have the power to tell him to do anything.
His narcissism supersedes the interest of his country as well as yours. I'm sorry.
52
Our GOP Congress has the power to change things and won’t! Vote in November!
1
Trump admires dictators. He has made a point of cozying up to them and agreeing with their brutality. He has even suggested some it might be good for citizens in this country.
Don't expect him to even hint at human rights.
He wants to be a dictator.
21
"Would you embrace Hitler?" No, good point. This guy actually is Hitler, so let's not cheer for him getting legitimized. But "the nukes can be removed. What could be more urgent than human life?"--if we go in and remove the nukes, a whole lot of urgent human life will be lost in both the north and the south, no?
Not sure we should be encouraging this president in that direction either.
5
Singapore itself is known for human rights violations. So, this location seems about right. I don't care how pretty and lush it is, Singapore still has horrible human rights abuses to answer for. Disgusting.
12
Remember the Trojan Horse story?
See today's copy of the New York Daily News. Page 27.
(Bramhall's World) 6/11/2018
4
Dear Yeonmi: your video makes a good point but you may find yourself disappointed again. If it is not in the interest of our supreme leaders or of the Trump Organization, human rights will not be a topic for discussion at this session. At best a nice photo will come of this and perhaps a reprieve from angry tweets, for a few days. It is enough to hope that Pres. Trump will not "blow it".
6
It is none of our current business to address these issues. We have issues of WMD, delivery systems, and a continuing state of war. If we address them with success the lives of the people in North Korea will improve. Kim will never give up his power and won't be treating his people as we would desire, NEVER!!!
2
With all due respect to Ms. Park and the suffering she has endured, her video message lacks proper context concerning what happened and didn't happen in inter-Korean relations after the first meeting between leaders of the two countries in 2000. Why didn't North Korea change after that?
Ms. Park neglected to mention the impact of George W. Bush's presidency in the U.S., after he took office (thanks to Clarence Thomas & Co. on the Supreme Court) in January 2001. Bush came into office with a suffocatingly sanctimonious, righteously indignant, holier than thou attitude towards North Korea and a determination to reverse everything Bill Clinton had done and supported as president. Bush felt absolute disdain towards then South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung and treated Kim--a former dissident who was one thousand times the man Bush will ever be--like some disobedient vassal for daring to meet with Kim Jong-Il. Bush and his team exercised their effective veto power over the North-South Korean rapprochement and more or less scuttled the whole process.
By January 2002, a few months after 9/11, Bush was referring to North Korea as part of the Axis of Evil (along with Iran & Iraq). In such circumstances, what exactly was Kim Jong-Il supposed to do? Americans were drunk with power and thought they could overthrow all "undesirable" regimes in the world.
The Iraq debacle in 2003 ended any and all such fantasies on the part of the chickenhawks. So here we are 15 years later.
21
What North Korea did to young Otto Warmbier and Mr. Un's relatives tells us all we need to know about Mr. Un.
DJ just wants the attention, and he is succeeding.
As far as changing the subject: Nice try buddy.
6
I did NOT change the subject. I directly addressed a point that Ms. Park explicitly made in her video message. Did you even watch her video?
Trump doesn't care about human rights. He's referred to Kim as am honorable man even though Kim had his own uncle and brother killed Trump thinks Putin, who has reporters murdered, is a fine fellow. Here's what Trump cares about: having his name in the news and money. In Trump's horrid world, human rights are for the weak and the meek.
95
Here is the thing - there are issues to deal with regarding North Korea that are more important that how Kim treats his citizen-victims. Human rights is a nice to have when it comes to foreign policy, after guns, money, and power. Sorry, but that is the real world.
1
I disagree with QED too, but I'm afraid that's probably Trump's mindset.
1
Trump may not understand that including human rights in negotiations actually shows strength, while leaving it out of the equation actually shows the other side you are weak.
29
Nice points, but what it really shows is arrogance, that you think we are better than them. I care only now about WMD and delivery systems, they threaten the US. If we get them addressed perhaps other things can follow.
We are mostly hoping Trump does not lead us to a worse place
than we already have.
He is capable of judging the situation differently than his population, and choosing self-interest over any humans, even
his own countrymen.
16
I happy you escaped Yeonmi.
Unfortunately, your hopes are misplaced. there is nothing in Trump's history that would give you an indication that he would do something for North Koreans.
As a rich person, Trump had plenty of opportunities to be generous, kind, and conscious about the suffering of others, and did nothing.
The presidency has afforded him even more of these opportunities, and he has wasted them.
This meeting not be about was is best for North Koreans, South Koreans, or Americans, but about what is bes for Trump.
40
Ok, we all know that NK's human rights are violated. If so, what are the best ways to deter the NK's violations of human rights? NK has never answered the call from US and UN to improve the human rights. Do you guys really believe that sanctions and verbal blames work to improve the current situation of NK? If it did not work, what can we do for that? The best way is to eliminate Kim Jung-eun and change the regime. Oh, US adopted those measures many times under the name of "human right" and "democratization" as Iraq and Afghanistan cases showed. What were the results? Full chaos in the region and many American young men and women died. I do not disagree with Trump in many aspects, but I am sick of summoning the NK defectors to blame NK regime and the summit. Please let me know the best actual ways to improve the human right in NK except for making a peace and opening the door of NK. NK has violated the human right claiming that "We are confronting the US empire now, so we should limit the freedom of speech and human right to win the war". Although the peace negotiation itself will not improve the human right of NK in a very short time, but I think it is the best way to open the door of NK and to improve the human right of NK in the long run as the cases of former Soviet and China has shown.
3
The writer forgets one simple point, NK has nukes. How does anyone expect to "eliminate" Kim and initiate regime change? He has all the cards in this negotiation, why should he do anything America or Trump wants?
6
He must see something or why would he bother meeting Trump?
1
Once you stop caring about human lives, foreign policy becomes really easy. Just smile for the cameras and declare victory!
25
I saw the same kind of human rights messages before 9/11. It was a petition to save Muslim women in Afghanistan under Taliban leadership. So what happened? Those "human rights" petitions were used as one of many excuses for U.S. Neocons to deploy the ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. As we all know, the U.S. removed those horrible dictators, but what happened to the people there including women? Are they still all alive? Do they enjoy their human rights?
Of course, human rights are important, but how to achieve the rights for human beings is a totally different matter.
I do not understand what this former North Korean person wants? Does she want the U.S. to tighten its sanctions until North Koreans starve to death? Does she want the U.S.to deploy the troops to get rid of Kim Jong-un as the U.S. did with Talibans and Sadam? We all know now the military solution for human rights is actually a shortcut to destroy human rights.
It is regrettable that North Korea has gotten through many hardships under their enclosed autocratic system. Their most severe famine happened in the mid 90s due to their isolation after the collapse of Soviet Union.
As I have observed, Kim Jong-un is different from his father, Kim Jong-il. This young, Swiss-educated North Korean leader ardently wants to open his country and has promoted market economy. For the sake of North Korean people, the president of the United States has to sit down with Kim Jong-un.
2
She did not ask for a military intervention. She asks the US to include this important topic in the negotiations.
I do not know what you observed, but Kim Jong-Un showed so many brutal, inhuman actions that the NK people will not be free, until hi and his whole regime are removed.
9
But this time it's one of their own demanding human rights and not White imperialists. Also, she's not asking for military action, she's asking for Trump to take a stance on human rights when he talks to Kim. And she also maybe just wants to remind everyone that he's not just threatening to start nuclear war, he's also oppressing his people.
5
The worst way to change the conditions for people living under dictatorial regimes is to attack their country militarily. This results in more oppression, a huge spike in nationalism and a desire by the citizens for a strong leader that can help them repel the invaders. The fantasy of invading or attacking a country to "rescue" its citizens is utterly laughable, and sadly, one that western powers, especially the US has fallen prey to, too many times to count. Tey count we must. Military attacks only make life harder and more brutal for millions of civilians. Intelligent people learn from history. It won't be different next time!
13
So you actually think that the German, Italian, and Japanese were not improved through military action? And of course I care about WMD, and delivery systems most not the internal affairs of other countries.
2
Trump will not be able to help. He just doesn’t have the capacity as a human being or the capability as a competent leader. I think he wants a hotel.
53
How do we deal with a leader who is pampered, arbitrary, and bellicose, who removes members of his cabinet at a whim, who lives in a bubble and surrounds himself with mirrors and yes men? How can we contend with a dictator who was not democratically elected, who thinks he's an emperor?
Then of course, there's Kim Jong-un.
31
That was a very touching video, thank you.
It's unfortunate that not only will our current President of the United States not likely see this video but, even if he did, he's not of the disposition to hear your appeals in the way you intended.
My fear is that while he and Kim are adversaries, they actually have more in common than nuclear capability...
55
This woman needs to be the one sitting opposite Kim at the negotiating table. She knows the reality of the situation, and would give nothing away for free.
117
The president won't give anything away, we will get the deal as indicated or Kim will suffer the consequences.
Still waiting for all those coal mining jobs to come back, huh?
1
Just like he got rid of Obamacare on day one and replaced it with better healthcare covering everyone?
Just like he got a big, beautiful wall on the Mexican border, paid for by Mexico?
Don't hold your breath, Ms. Park. Trump will only be looking out for Trump in tomorrow's meeting. No one else.
104
Sadly, I'm not sure Trump would be able to define the term "human rights" if his life depended upon it. I'm serious.
142
I think it's interesting, and actually, quite sad, that she refers to Kim Jong-il as "My God". Unless I mistakenly understood the attribution.
I don't expect Trump to heed this or any calls for human rights accountability. It's all a photo op and an attention getting scheme. We've been played, thanks to Trump. His end cannot come soon enough.
67
She is speaking in the past tense to illustrate how DPRK children are taught to think of the Kim family as living gods. It's obvious she doesn't currently think that way.
It would be interesting to find out how many DPRK citizens actually support the Kim regime, and how many make just a show of it for the sake of survival.
19
You did not misunderstand it. North Koreans are taught from the beginning at a young age that the ruling family is divinely entitled to be their leader. They literally are told to worship and treat the Supreme Leader as god.
10
She was being sarcastic.
1
Yeonmi Park, even I had a way to get my message through to President Trump, I can assure you he wouldn't listen.
Your video was compelling. Of course it was! Dicatatorships are evil. What you had to see as a child was horrific, something no child should ever ever have to see.
But as only one American, although I know many here share my feelings, I can tell you that the US president is no fan of human rights crusades. In fact, he has kinder, better words for the dictators of this world than those of our allies and countries who treat their people well.
So all I can do, is comment here, as most of us do, and trust me, we share your angst. But until we have a new president, the United States can't be considered a country that values human rights.
Just look at what he's doing on our border with Mexico: ripping children, even babies, from their parents. A man committed suicide in a holding pen when he was separated from his wife and son.
Many of us here don't recognize this country, any more than you could the nation you fled. My heart goes out to all your compatriots, but if you're looking for help from President Trump, you're going to be very disappointed.
196
Christine-
First, thanks for your consistently thoughtful comments. I wish I could give you a big hug.
And though we may seem like a country that doesn't value human rights, we bloody well are a Nation that does.
Compare our progress on LGBT rights, voting access, and gender equality to other nations, and we don't do so badly. True, there's plenty of room for improvement (more opportunities now than ever), but I refuse to let resident Trump deform our democracy, and I won't ever give up hope. See you at the ballot box in November!
23
R Mandi: oh I'll be there! I wish I could vote out Republicans, but all incumbents in my area are Democrats. Thanks for your kind words. I get so very depressed these days, because evil seems to be prevailing.
1
You get the government you allow. You have a huge trained and armed military that doesn't turn the arms against the repressive regime? You have the means in your own hands to force a better life for yourselves. The US responds to threats to the US and our allies. Preach to your own well armed military for a better, well fed and prosperous North Korea.
A powerful message. My grandfather was almost murdered by a mock 'people's trial' set up by the occupying North Korea forces for being a capitalist reactionary during the Korean War: He owned land. My mother remembers her family always giving food and shelter to travelers, sometimes months on end, because that was understood to be the traditional duty of a land owner. And he was nearly murdered for that. NK's leader during that time is Kim Jong Un's grandfather.
Fast forward 60 plus years. NK is still starving its people, and murdering Kim's own family, and sticks to its goal of destroying South Korea, America's ally.
Hearing the people of Singapore cheering at the appearance of Kim was enough to convince me how Hitler was able to call himself Führer.
It's a scary thought. NK's brutal dictatorship is on the verge of being guaranteed security by the US.
7
As sad, and as awful, as this is, a nuclear holocaust or another Korean war would be far worse -- for the people of North and South Korea, for Americans, for everyone.
My heart breaks for those who suffer, but Trump cannot end this. Sometimes, great wrongs have to accepted to prevent horrors that are worse.
3
I guest that was the same sentiment in this country regarding Hitler's Third Reich prior to our involvement in WWII. Sad....
7
Really? That's really your drawn conclusion? Who has NK invaded since the close of the war?
Great wrongs never have to be accepted. Millions of lives should not be sacrificed so others can live in peace, safety and freedom.
I can't imagine a horror worse than starving to death, watching others starve to death, being tortured, imprisoned, beaten, your whole family disappeared and that's only a small slice of their life.
As she mentioned in the beginning would Trump hug Hitler, many people and countries did just that and look at the horrors that ensued. And Kim's family has already been at this for a very long time.
1
I can sympathize with your stance, Ms. Park. I cannot imagine the hell you endured before you were able to defect. Economics makes people turn a blind eye to human rights - out of sight, out of mind. How many goods are imported from China, for example, that are made with slave labor? Too many. Yet, we want low-priced goods so we don't push China on human rights either.
If Mr. Kim is at all pragmatic, he may see the futility of maintaining the status quo of the North Korean regime. What's the point of absolute power if you're the most isolated country? Just as we may start to see some change in Cuba, albeit slowly, as the Castro years come to an end, Kim as the third generation despot may see the value in joining the rest of the world, instead of keeping the totalitarian isolation.
We may hope.
12
Let's not confuse reality with Reality TV. That is Mr. Trump's milieu and what we are experiencing. Yesterday it was making the G7 G6, today it Kim Jong-un. With reality TV it's never about accomplishing anything, only the ratings, which is about the lead up—and TV never tires of that. So after this fizzles, there will be a lead up to something else, and then something else again, ad nauseam. The only thing to hope for is that no nukes fly, no war's started.
24
Another American president haranguing the North Koreans about their human rights abuses isn't going to improve anything. Only bringing North Korea into the world is going to change anything for its citizens in the long-term.
De-nuclearization is the first matter. Surely, the message Pompeio brought on his secret mission to Kim Jong Un a couple of months ago was a promise to bring NK into the global economy in exchange for getting rid of its nukes. And as with China, North Koreans' human rights will improve slowly, and only to the degree that the re-design of its economic system requires.
This meeting with Trump may be, hopefully and God willing, one first step.
5
If this summit results in the eventual elimination of North Korea's nuclear arsenal, it will be a great achievement. Perhaps great enough to spare the world from a regional, if not global nuclear war. The horror Ms. Park describes can only be solved through regime change, something not only the United States, but all nations must work together to achieve. The UN is fine when it comes to drafting resolutions and issuing sanctions, but without action, they have done nothing to bring about meaningful change. The decades of propaganda against the US have ensured that any push for change in leadership in the North by our government will be seen as a fulfillment of prophecy. No, the elimination of this dictatorship will require a concerted effort of the regional powers, especially China and Russia, with the full support of all civilized nations on earth. It is time for all to speak with one voice.
6
Mark, the only time summits result in ANYTHING being resolved is when our POTUS arrives with a group of competent, dedicated negotiators who will carry on the actual work involved in developing and agreement. Trump is not Nixon and he has no Kissinger (nor anyone else with the lifetime creds necessary to perform the difficult work of an actual DIPLOMAT). As sleazy as Nixon was personally, at least he knew how to negotiate with crazy dictator. Trump is as naive, impulsive and pig-headed as his Korean counterpart - the most can be said is he didn't single handedly start WW III (yet).
I listened to Yeonmi Park’s book “In Order to Live” when it was serialized on the BBC in 2015. The horror and terror she describes of what constitutes daily life for most North Koreans, particularly in the countryside, is so all encompassing that it almost defies belief. Mass starvation, summary execution, forced labor, brainwashing and every conceivable assault on the basic humanity of men, women and children are what I see whenever I see Kim Jong-un smiling for the cameras.
I hope that there will be peace between the two Koreas, but to see Donald Trump gushing over this mass murderer and issuing compliments and invitations willy nilly, is obscene.
7
I'm afraid the lady is well-informed and well-intentioned, but fundamentally mistaken nonetheless.
The first and highest priority is the issue of military security and denuclearization. Human rights comes after, perhaps next, but certainly later on.
The idea that you can pursue both simultaneously is simply wrong, and proven wrong in several previous instances. A N Korean regime that prized human rights would be a different government with a different leader - you can't get it without regime change.
If "America First" is to mean anything, then it means keeping a consistent sense of priorities which puts US national concerns uppermost. It must be understood that the great and undeniable suffering of North Koreans does not reach the top of the priority list just because the issue is morally clear and emotionally urgent.
3
Please explain that to the survivors of concentration camps and the horror of Hitler called WW2. This young lady speaks of the importance of all facets of diplomacy.
I want to empathize with Ms. Park, and I do, but I have to agree with Sam. I don't disregard the suffering of the North Korean people, nor do I mean to diminish the importance of doing what we can to alleviate it. That said, we have to deal with the nuclear weapons first. If just one of those damned things ends up in the hands of some fanatic, human rights go right out the window.