I Escaped North Korea. Ask Me Anything 

The guy who asked about having a job, LGBTQIA, and foreigners living in North Korea really missed the mark. Yes, those topics are important, but not in the context of speaking about your experience living in a country that denies all forms of freedom, experience with starvation, and human torture. And then at the end when they met face to face all he did was compliment his outfit. I had secondhand embarrassment.

"How is the LGBTQ community represented in North Korea" and "could you tell me about any experiences you witnessed regarding black people in your country" - dude, wtf do you think??

He literally talks about death, starvation and having no basic rights and this guy asks him about representation of LGBT....

I feel so sorry for his little sister-that must’ve been terrible to feel responsible for her torturing.

I honestly think the guy asking about LGBTQ and black people gave all of us second hand embarrassement

The most upsetting thing about this video is that it’s only 10 minutes… I could’ve listened to him and his experience for hours.

Terrell (The one asking about black and LGBT+ matters) has posted this message to Instagram and I'm going to post it here to clear up some of the controversy in the comments: Thank you all for your feedback. None of the questions I asked had ill intent on my end. I would like to note that one of the producers handed me a piece of paper that read "When was the first time you saw a black person?" & asked me to ask that in the middle of me talking. I felt that question was irrelevant but in the moment I unfortunately did ask upon request. As far as the other questions the producer specifically reached out to me beforehand & said she would like a black/LGBT+ persons perpective so that is why my questions were centered around that. Of course there were other conversations had that you all did not see. I sincerely apologize for the delivery and questions I asked. I would never want to offend anyone/a community and have empathy for all that Harry has experienced. This is a segment where any question can be asked. However, mine were surfaced and I hope you all can give me grace. My ignorance to the conditions in North Korea was the sole purpose of doing this video. To learn. This is a learning experience for me & I take full responsibilty for my actions. With love, Terrell

Can we give a bigger shout out to his mom?? Damn, that's a brave woman.

When he started talking about what freedom meant to him it made me so sad. You can tell he really values it and doesn't take it for granted.

I don’t think the guy who asked about lgbtq representation knows how bad North Korea is 💀

You have a chance to ask a North Korea escapee anything and you ask about LGBTQ AND BLACK REPRESENTATION!??? Ridiculous. For the record im black and not straight

"It's illegal to not have a job? I'd be arrested" bro I think that would be the least of your worries in North Korea edit: to restore my faith in humanity I'm going to assume this guy just didn't realise the kind of things that go on in North Korea. The producers probably cut his talk down to just these topics as well

His sister's story is so sad, I'm happy that he feels like he's in a better place. These stories always interest me and i could never imagine being in such a situation.

As a South Korean, whenever i see North Koreans interview, it makes me realize how great a privilage is everything I can do in my life. The freedom I have has been preserved through the sacrifices of so many korean soldiers and soldiers from all around the world. I express my huge respect and gratitude to all 63 countries soldiers that support, fought and sacrificed their life for the freedom of my country.

I teared up a few times when he was talking about his sister and nieces/nephews. It must be so hard to be "free" and have family still stuck somewhere in bad conditions.

Breaks my heart to see that he cannot fully experience his freedom without thinking about the ones who don't have what he does. Thank you for sharing your story Harry💙

It's it seriously so mind blowing to me how much being born on one or the other side of a border can impact your life

Damn dude has survivors guilt, I'm happy for him thou. I pray he sees his family again.

When they complemented his mom saying that she’s amazing and his smile saying, “yes she is,” makes my heart warm

As a gen z something about him being around the same age as me is so intriguing and interesting. We have lived the same amount of time but lived complete different lives. A great part of his life has been deprived of freedom and basic rights, and things I have taken for granted while growing up. Its so inspiring to see him now telling his story and his perspective, I could listen to him talking for hours.

It hurts that he has to carry the burden of escaping to freedom but yet when he enjoys the freedom he has, he’s haunted by the punishment his sister has to go through because of his escape and the pain his family and friends are going through back in North Korea.

5:44 What made him think that there are black people in North Korea 😑

His story about hiding from the government is absolutely chilling. I'm so glad he made it out

This was such a meaningful experience. Thank you Jubilee, and thank you Harry for being brave enough to share your story! It was such a pleasure to meet you. :)

When he talked about what freedom means to him, it made me cry. Feeling guilty every time you get to enjoy something has to be so painful. I just want to hug him.

The individual with the polo asking about lgbtq and black people should have put more thought into their questions bc they were irrelevant to the depth of the conversation.

I'm sorry but of course they don't have the concept of LGBTQ or black people these are just kinda weird questions imo

Honestly I was annoyed with the dude asking questions about the lgbt and being black, he knows the answers to his own questions. It’s so self centered

It still boggles my mind that we're in the 21st century. And there's still an entire country imprisoned by a madman. And worse, he's protected by two other madmen who dream of having his level of control over their people. And one of those madmen may end the world within the year, for his fragile ego.

It's sad that his sister had to suffer

asking about lgbtqia and foreigners in north korea is literally the epitome of americans thinking they are the center of the world lmao

copypasted someone's comment from a few days ago "Terrell (The one asking about black and LGBT+ matters) has posted this message to Instagram and I'm going to post it here to clear up some of the controversy in the comments: Thank you all for your feedback. None of the questions I asked had ill intent on my end. I would like to note that one of the producers handed me a piece of paper that read "When was the first time you saw a black person?" & asked me to ask that in the middle of me talking. I felt that question was irrelevant but in the moment I unfortunately did ask upon request. As far as the other questions the producer specifically reached out to me beforehand & said she would like a black/LGBT+ persons perpective so that is why my questions were centered around that. Of course there were other conversations had that you all did not see. I sincerely apologize for the delivery and questions I asked. I would never want to offend anyone/a community and have empathy for all that Harry has experienced. This is a segment where any question can be asked. However, mine were surfaced and I hope you all can give me grace. My ignorance to the conditions in North Korea was the sole purpose of doing this video. To learn. This is a learning experience for me & I take full responsibilty for my actions. With love, Terrell"

I had to leave russia just a few weeks ago as half Ukrainian and gay I was in danger there but I still speak to my friends and family every day and it’s hard knowing that you might never seem them again can’t imagine not even being able to have this communication with the loved once

This guy grew up worrying about possibly starving to death bc there's no way to buy food & that guy is over there talking about lgbt. How self centered can you be. A lot of the world does not support that community. Not really an important topic when people in NK literally are starving to death.

Thank you, Jubilee, for collaborating with us to share the stories of the North Korean people! And thanks to every single person who's watching for taking time to listen and learn more about this issue!

I'm a South Korean and this video brought me to tears. My grandma is originally from the North. But then she ran away from the soldiers during the war and coincidentally ended up in the south before the country was divided. I have immense affection for the life I'm leading and I am truly grateful. And there's absolutely no reason why I should deserve this life more than anyone else in the North.

This video tugged at the heart strings. Bravo for his bravery speaking about his experience escaping. What an absolute privilege it is to have freedom.

The story about his sister broke my heart

I cannot imagine the courage he and his mum had to escape their dictatorship. My heart hurts hearing about his sister suffering so inhumanely. I hope one day NK citizens can free themselves

“oh i’d be arrested, is that bad?” “oui oui” was really not cute. there’s a time and a place for comedic relief and this was not it. it’s giving vibes of those hecklers at stand up comedy shows that needs all the attention to be on them and how funny they think they are instead of the actual speaker.

thank you for having harry here to share his experience, he’s still so young and it’s so sobering to hear about his experience. what’s beautiful to me is his kindness and humility, despite (and perhaps because) of everything he had to endure. i hope that he’ll be able to reunite with his family someday…

Thank you for spreading the story of North Korean people. I am sorry to hear that no one ever respects the fact that he had happy moments in his life there before he was free. Love still existed in his life and people need to respect and recognize that.

I can't even begin to imagine what he had gone through in his life. It seems as though he is beyond all emotions when he talked about his family... May his future be filled with only happiness.

The guy who asked about "LGBTQ" and "black people experiences" needs a serious dose of reality and education on real issues in other countries.

"How is the LGBT community represented in North Korea?" 🤦🏼‍♀️

Thank you Harry for being so brave and vulnerable and telling the world your story! I wanna hug him 🥺 I hope he’s able to find some peace and joy in every day life.. PTSD and survivors guilt is so hard to live with.

Harry seems like such a lovely, gentle soul, I smiled when he spoke of his mother so fondly, also incredibly impressed with how advanced his English is!

5:44 No way he really asked that 😂

FIY, I’m Black. I was consistently annoyed by the Black guy asking woke questions. People are starving in North Korea and you are asking about LGBTQ treatment? Bruh. I’m shook in a bad way… so done.

The fact that he did not cry talking about his sister… But you could tell it was so hurtful for him to talk about that. Very strong

The one guy literally can't think of any questions outside of his little intersectional box. "I'm gay and black and that's all I will ask about...." we are losing educational value in this country by choice.

This is so eye opening. I feel so sorry for his sister and to his family, experiencing such moments is heartbreaking.

Is the Black Gay guy being facetious on purpose cause, there’s no way in the world he asked that LGBT question unironicallly on his own accord

as a black person , I’ve never been more embarrassed by that guy’s questions 🤦🏽‍♀️ not the main focus dude😅

This was equally touching as it was heartbreaking 🤍 I hope the best for him & his family x

this was so great! thank you for providing Harry with this platform.

Dude was talking about starvation and hiding for his life in the face of death and the most the other guy can ask about is lgbt and black people like doesn't he understand that the world doesn't revolve around that

❤️❤️❤️get him back for a part 2 !!! So important to give a voice to people with these kinds of experiences

“what does freedom mean to you” i noticed he didn’t answer and that absolutely shattered me because i feel that even though he has experienced what freedom is, there’s no way of letting the things he, his friends and family went (and are still going) through go. his individual freedom must feel like a very heavy burden

Harry, thank you for sharing your life with us and showing us a side of North Korea that we never get to see. I really really hope that you can reunite with your sister soon

this video was so educational, thank you for sharing your story and being brave enough to fight for freedom! this breaks my heart that there’s a generation that doesn’t know any other way and they deserve the freedoms other places get to have

What a sweet soul bless his family and I hope his sister Dan recover someday. Stay safe🙏🏼🙏🏼

As someone who’s read around 20+ books by/about defectors, I really appreciate this video - pretty much all the books talked about NK in the 90s at the very latest (usually the 70s though). I’m extremely grateful to hear the experience & perspective of a young defector who is the same age as me. It provides insight into what the country is like today. Harry’s parting comment, “The most interesting thing about North Korea isn’t the dictator. It’s the people,” and his call to be an ally ring consistent with the concluding theme of all the books I read by defectors. I’m not sure what I can do (or what can be done for that matter) for North Korean people, but I know that we can all at least make defectors lives a little bit easier by unlearning misconceptions, humanizing them, & making sure that there are adequate systems in place to support them.

Poor guy! I love this but it was sad. Thank you for sharing your touching story and giving us some insight into life in NK. I am hoping from freedom and peace for everyone in the world.

Please more of this! Some questions were almost a waste of time and others made him share his pov in a way that was extremely interesting (like what freedom means to him).

He is so strong to speak out. Thank you so much for your story. It's a hard life to be the one who escaped and remember loved ones who are still there. Some of us live our lives to the fullest to honor those we wish could be with us. ❤

This was my favorite video for this genre of videos, Ive always wanted to know about North Korea from a citizens perspective. The freedom discussion really touched my soul.

Oh Harry, im soo sorry about your sister and wish there was something I could do to help.😢 But I also want to say I think you are very strong and admirable for speaking out and sharing with us your experiences! And I agree with the person here that said your mom is an amazing woman, she risked a lot to try and help people. I also laughed a lot at your TMI comment😂, you’re very funny. But seriously, thank you for sharing because I learned so much. I doubt you’ll ever see this comment but for me it’s about putting the energy out there lol, so I just want to put out there my hope and prayer that you do get to be with your family and friends again in happiness and peace. ♥️

Imagine asking if there are any Black folks in North Korea while this dude is pouring his heart out. Just a reminder, Google is free!!!

i just want to give him a big hug. i like learning about people who escaped from North Korea but it breaks my heart. I like hearing their stories. You just have to be such a strong person to endure that much stress and trauma. I just want to hear him talk all day. I feel so sorry about his little sister.. it’s not his fault but i know he feels responsible. absolutely horrible

I cannot even fathom escaping North Korea knowing what happens to your family when you make it out. The mixture of guilt and relief...and to think I'll whine about not finding a parking spot.

that one guy asking about lgbtq+ people and black people in north korea really needs to fix his ego

dude in the polo was full of “how can i make this about me” energy

Thank you for this video. I would enjoy hearing more from him. I signed the pledge.

live it up Harry!!! I hope you found the freedom and the acceptance you deserve.. Shout out to Mrs. Henry. She sounds like a warrior!!

I would've asked what we can do to help, if that's even an idea... Thank you for sharing. This is wonderful and immensely important. What a brave guy.

I read an article abt the craxy rules there abt a year ago and I felt so bad but hearing his experience I feel even terrible and sorry for the ppl

For anyone curious about why North Korea still exists, and more on the subject of reunification, I'd urge you to look at the article for North Korea on RationalWiki; they have a section wholly dedicated to the subject of North and South Korea reunification, and why sadly, it's a very unlikely scenario. But the gist of it is that it would be one of the largest humanitarian crises of all time. While we saw reunification of East and West Germany back in the 90s, that was already tough enough as it was, and the population of both German countries is much smaller than the sum of North and South Korea, and both Korean countries have been separated for a far greater amount of time than Germany was. Some other reasons unifying both countries is unlikely is because of the various differences between the two (economic, cultural, linguistic, the kind of jobs the resident of each country has available to them, among many other things), the AMOUNT of people who would need to be integrated into the society, as well as the stark contrast in infrastructure of both places. The reason the population is an issue is because, while there are programs that are set up to help integrate North Korean refugees into their new world, that program can only handle so many people at once- far less than what would be required for a full reunification. Plus, reunification would be a process that would require the regime leaders of NK to effectively step down, and what could anyone possibly offer them that would make them want to step down and take full responsibility for the crimes against humanity they've committed and let someone else take full control?

I absolutely loved the insight given in this video. Also, really appreciated Rebecca's questions!

This video served as a grave reminder not to take anything for granted. I appreciate Harry for his courage and love for his people. Imagine what we could do if everyone were more loving and conscious of what was happening in their community and international community.

he's so strong and his mother is so brave! 👏🏻🥺

"I feel hope but I don't believe" Sending love

Wow this was incredible. I could listen to him for hours

This shows us at the core centre of all of us we are the same, wanting the same and there is a perversion of our innate natural existence to create, share and inspire eachother, thank you for speaking Sir on your country, you touched us clearly! xxx

Aww, bless him and his mama. 😢🙏🥰 His mom is a queen and I hope she is doing well here.

I wish y’all would give us more than 10 minutes on videos with a subject matter this complex and serious.

It was very interesting to listen his testimony

😢 this was sad and beautiful and eye opening

This was really enlightening to hear about his experiences, I hope life gets better for those that still live in North Korea.

He really asked about blacks in North Korea and what he thinks of black people 🤦‍♂️

SO IMPORTANT to get this message out. Thank you to Harry for his time and sharing with us

“ When I think of the word freedom it makes me so sad because it’s not for everyone” :(

I went through the Korean course in the US military language school (DLI), which is run nearly entirely by Korean natives. Most South, but there were at least a couple N.Korean defectors that held positions there too. The thing about DLI is, it doesn’t just teach language. It teaches history, culture, politics, etc, and they even teach NK dialect! But the point of this comment is, I could listen to these people talk for DAYS on end. There is SO much that outsiders don’t know about NK and they’re depressing and terrifying…

What an amazing guy

Thank you for sharing your incredible story. ❤

He and his mom are so brave and aw inspiring, I hope one day the people of North Korea are freed❤ Thank you for sharing your story❤️❤️

please don't bring the black guy back onto these he's very very clueless about everything and constantly asks insensitive and weird questions

I just wanna cry and hug him

that was a pretty wholesome video especially the two korean people meeting

Love this, thank you for sharing