Conversation with Human Rights Activist at Southeast Asia Community Commemoration Event
Park Ji-hyun (53), a North Korean defector, shaking hands with King Charles III of the United Kingdom (Photo by Yonhap News / Twitter capture)
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] It has been reported that King Charles III of the United Kingdom expressed interest in issues such as North Korean human rights during a meeting with North Korean defectors residing in the UK.
According to a Twitter post on the 2nd (local time) by Park Ji-hyun (53), a North Korean defector and human rights activist in the UK, Charles III held a banquet at Buckingham Palace in London the previous afternoon to celebrate the East Asian and Southeast Asian communities in the UK.
The banquet was attended not only by King Charles III and Queen Camilla but also by various members of the royal family, including Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II who passed away last year, Princess Anne, cousin Princess Alexandra, as well as the Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Gloucester.
Park wrote on Twitter, "It was an honor and a privilege to meet King Charles III and the Queen," adding, "Charles III said it is rare to meet someone who escaped from North Korea, and this was his first time as well." She further stated, "Charles III showed great interest in my story and the bleak situation in North Korea."
Invitation received by Jihyun Park from the British Royal Family (Photo by Yonhap News / Twitter capture)
The meeting was understood to be by royal invitation. The invitation he revealed stated, "You are invited to a banquet hosted by the King and Queen of the United Kingdom at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at 6:30 PM to celebrate the East Asian and Southeast Asian communities in the UK."
Park, originally from Chongjin, Hamgyongbuk-do, escaped North Korea in 1998 but endured hardships such as being sold to a rural area in China by human trafficking brokers and facing forced repatriation. After escaping again and living in hiding in Beijing, she settled in the UK in 2008 with the help of a US-national pastor. Since then, she has actively campaigned in Europe to raise awareness about the hardships faced by North Korean women in China and the human rights situation in North Korea.
In February 2020, she was selected as a recipient of the 'Amnesty Brave Awards' given by Amnesty International UK, and on the 31st of last month, a US edition launch event for her book detailing her experiences, Hard Road Out, was held in New York, USA.
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