Jihyun Park
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Jihyun Park (born 1968/1969) is a British-North Korean Conservative Party politician. She is a councilor of the Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, representing Holyrood Ward. Park is the first known person of North Korean descent to stand for election in the UK, and the first known North Korean to hold an office which has been elected in a free and fair election.[1][2] Park is a North Korean defector, escaping twice from the country, with the first attempt in 1998 resulting in discovery and forced repatriation back to North Korea, however, a second attempt in 2008 was successful and led to her escape to the United Kingdom, which is a country she is now a citizen and resident of.[3]
Early life
Park was born in North Korea in the 1970s.[4]
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[5] into a forced marriage with a farmer, who she had a child with.[1]
Repatriation and imprisonment in North Korea
Park was subsequently brought back into the prison camps, where she was forced to work on farms.[6]
Second deflection
In year 2004, she agian and laslty, escaped from North Korea with help of a local Broker through mountaious terrains. Back again in China, she stayed a few days in her former shelter, then fled to Beijing with his son, and this time hoped to get help from the South Korean embassy, but later returned back to the border.[6]
In 2008, she went to the United Kingdom, where he became a citizen and got permanentally settled.
Life in the United Kingdom
Park arrived in the United Kingdom in 2008 as a refugee, she struggled initially with the English language and was unable to communicate with anyone.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b "North Korean defector Jihyun Park to stand in Bury local elections". BBC News. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Zuboff, Jen (28 October 2020). "In Conversation with Jihyun Park". Cherwell. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "How I Escaped North Korea Twice | Minutes With | UNILAD". Youtube. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "The last word: Jihyun Park, a North Korean refugee resettled in the UK | UNA-UK". una.org.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ a b News, A. B. C. "North Korean defector Jihyun Park looking to make democratic history in UK". ABC News. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
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