TED2013
Hyeonseo Lee: My escape from North Korea
Hyeonseo Lee: Moj pobeg iz Severne Koreje
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Kot otrok odraščajoč v Severni Koreji, je Hyeonseo Lee mislila, da je njena država "najboljša na svetu." S prihodom lakote v 90-ih se je začela spraševati. Pri 14-ih je pobegnila iz države na Kitajsko, kjer se je skrivala in živela kot begunka. To je njena srhljiva osebna izpoved o preživetju in upanju - in močan opomnik na tiste, ki so izpostavljeni stalni nevarnosti, tudi ko je meja že daleč za njimi.
Hyeonseo Lee - Activist
As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thoght her country was the "best on the planet." It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 17-years-old to begin a life in hiding as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind. Full bio
As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thoght her country was the "best on the planet." It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 17-years-old to begin a life in hiding as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:16
When I was little,
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Ko sem bila še majhna,
00:17
I thought my country was the best on the planet,
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sem mislila, da je moja država
najboljša na svetu.
najboljša na svetu.
00:20
and I grew up singing a song called "Nothing To Envy."
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Odraščala sem ob pesmi
z naslovom "Ničesar za zavidati".
z naslovom "Ničesar za zavidati".
00:24
And I was very proud.
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Bila sem zelo ponosna.
00:26
In school, we spent a lot of time
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V šoli smo se dosti časa
00:28
studying the history of Kim Il-Sung,
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učili o življenju Kim Il-Sunga,
00:30
but we never learned much about the outside world,
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nismo pa se učili
kaj dosti o preostalem svetu,
kaj dosti o preostalem svetu,
00:34
except that America, South Korea, Japan are the enemies.
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razen tega, da so ZDA, Južna Koreja
in Japonska sovražnice.
in Japonska sovražnice.
00:39
Although I often wondered about the outside world,
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Čeprav sem se pogostokrat spraševala,
kakšen je zunanji svet,
kakšen je zunanji svet,
00:42
I thought I would spend my entire life in North Korea,
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sem mislila, da bom vse življenje
prebila v Severni Koreji.
prebila v Severni Koreji.
00:46
until everything suddenly changed.
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Vse dokler se ni nenadoma
vse obrnilo na glavo.
vse obrnilo na glavo.
00:50
When I was seven years old, I saw my first public execution,
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Pri sedmih letih sem bila
prvič priča javni usmrtitvi.
prvič priča javni usmrtitvi.
00:55
but I thought my life in North Korea was normal.
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Kljub temu sem mislila,
da je moje življenje v državi normalno.
da je moje življenje v državi normalno.
00:58
My family was not poor,
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Moja družina ni bila revna,
01:00
and myself, I had never experienced hunger.
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pa tudi sama nisem nikoli trpela lakote.
01:04
But one day, in 1995, my mom brought home a letter
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Toda nekega dne, leta 1995,
je moja mati prinesla domov pismo
je moja mati prinesla domov pismo
01:08
from a coworker's sister.
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sodelavkine sestre.
01:10
It read, "When you read this, all five family members
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Glasilo se je:
"Ko berete to, vseh pet članov družine
"Ko berete to, vseh pet članov družine
01:15
will not exist in this world,
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ne bo več na tem svetu,
01:18
because we haven't eaten for the past two weeks.
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kajti nismo jedli že dva tedna.
01:22
We are lying on the floor together,
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Vsi ležimo na tleh,
01:25
and our bodies are so weak we are ready to die."
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in naša telesa so tako šibka,
da smo na robu smrti.
da smo na robu smrti.
01:33
I was so shocked.
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Bila sem šokirana.
01:37
This was the first time I heard
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Prvič sem slišala,
01:39
that people in my country were suffering.
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da moji sodržavljani trpijo.
01:43
Soon after, when I was walking past a train station,
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Kmalu zatem,
ko sem hodila mimo železniške postaje,
ko sem hodila mimo železniške postaje,
01:46
I saw something terrible
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sem videla nekaj groznega,
01:48
that I can't erase from my memory.
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kar mi še vedno ostaja v spominu.
01:52
A lifeless woman was lying on the ground,
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Ženska je negibno ležala na tleh,
01:55
while an emaciated child in her arms
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medtem ko je v njenem naročju shiran otrok
01:58
just stared helplessly at his mother's face.
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nemočno gledal v njen obraz.
02:02
But nobody helped them, because they were so focused
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Nihče jima ni pomagal,
ker so vsi gledali na to,
ker so vsi gledali na to,
02:07
on taking care of themselves and their families.
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kako bodo poskrbeli zase
in za svoje družine.
in za svoje družine.
02:11
A huge famine hit North Korea in the mid-1990s.
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V sredini 90-ih let je Severno Korejo
prizadela huda lakota.
prizadela huda lakota.
02:15
Ultimately, more than a million North Koreans
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Nazadnje je več kot milijon ljudi
umrlo od lakote.
umrlo od lakote.
02:18
died during the famine, and many only survived
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Mnogo jih je preživelo le tako,
02:21
by eating grass, bugs and tree bark.
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da so jedli travo, žuželke in lubje.
02:27
Power outages also became more and more frequent,
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Izklapljanje elektrike je postalo
vedno bolj pogosto.
vedno bolj pogosto.
02:30
so everything around me was completely dark at night
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Ponoči je bilo vse okoli mene
temno kot v rogu,
temno kot v rogu,
02:35
except for the sea of lights in China,
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razen morja luči na Kitajskem,
02:37
just across the river from my home.
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ki jo je od mojega doma ločila le reka.
02:40
I always wondered why they had lights but we didn't.
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Zmeraj sem se spraševala,
zakaj imajo lahko oni luči in mi ne.
zakaj imajo lahko oni luči in mi ne.
02:45
This is a satellite picture showing North Korea at night
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To je satelitska slika
Severne Koreje ponoči
Severne Koreje ponoči
02:49
compared to neighbors.
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v primerjavi s sosedami.
02:53
This is the Amrok River,
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To je reka Amrok,
02:55
which serves as a part of the border
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ki služi kot del meje
02:57
between North Korea and China.
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med Severno Korejo in Kitajsko.
03:00
As you can see, the river can be very narrow
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Kot lahko vidite, je reka na nekaterih
delih zelo ozka.
delih zelo ozka.
03:02
at certain points, allowing North Koreans to secretly cross.
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Tako jo lahko Severni Korejci
skrivno prečkajo.
skrivno prečkajo.
03:08
But many die.
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Toda mnogi pri tem umrejo.
03:10
Sometimes, I saw dead bodies floating down the river.
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Od časa do časa sem videla
trupla plavati po reki navzdol.
trupla plavati po reki navzdol.
03:17
I can't reveal many details [about] how I left North Korea,
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Ne morem razkriti veliko o tem,
kako sem odšla iz države,
kako sem odšla iz države,
03:22
but I only can say that during the ugly years of the famine
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ampak vam lahko povem,
da so me, med obdobjem lakote,
da so me, med obdobjem lakote,
03:27
I was sent to China to live with distant relatives.
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poslali na Kitajsko k daljnim sorodnikom.
03:32
But I only thought
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Mislila sem,
03:34
that I would be separated from my family for a short time.
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da bom ločena od družine
samo za kratek čas.
samo za kratek čas.
03:38
I could have never imagined
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Nikoli si nisem predstavljala,
03:40
that it would take 14 years to live together.
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da bom prebila 14 let z njimi.
03:44
In China, it was hard living as a young girl without my family.
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Na Kitajskem mi je kot dekletu
brez družine bilo težko živeti.
brez družine bilo težko živeti.
03:48
I had no idea what life was going to be like
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Nisem vedela, kakšno življenje me čaka
03:52
as a North Korean refugee,
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kot severnokorejsko begunko.
03:54
but I soon learned it's not only extremely difficult,
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Kmalu sem spoznala,
da je ne le zelo težko,
da je ne le zelo težko,
03:57
it's also very dangerous,
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temveč tudi nevarno,
04:00
since North Korean refugees are considered in China
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kajti na Kitajskem severnokorejski begunci
04:05
as illegal migrants.
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veljajo za ilegalne preseljence.
04:08
So I was living in constant fear
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Tako sem živela v stalnem strahu,
04:10
that my identity could be revealed,
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da bo moja identiteta razkrita
04:12
and I would be repatriated to a horrible fate
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in me bo čakala kruta usoda
04:16
back in North Korea.
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ob deportaciji nazaj v Severno Korejo.
04:18
One day, my worst nightmare came true,
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Nekega dne se je uresničila
moja najhujša mora,
moja najhujša mora,
04:21
when I was caught by the Chinese police
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ko so me ujeli kitajski policisti
04:24
and brought to the police station for interrogation.
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in pripeljali na postajo na zaslišanje.
04:28
Someone had accused me of being North Korean,
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Nekdo me je obtožil,
da sem Severna Korejka,
da sem Severna Korejka,
04:31
so they tested my Chinese language abilities
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zato so preizkusili moje znanje kitajščine
04:35
and asked me tons of questions.
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in mi postavljali mnogo vprašanj.
04:38
I was so scared,
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Bila sem tako prestrašena,
04:41
I thought my heart was going to explode.
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da sem mislila, da mi bo počilo srce.
04:44
If anything seemed unnatural, I could be imprisoned
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Če bi bilo karkoli sumljivega,
bi končala v zaporu
bi končala v zaporu
04:47
and repatriated.
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in bi me deportirali.
04:49
I thought my life was over,
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Mislila sem, da je mojega življenja konec,
04:52
but I managed to control all the emotions inside me
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toda uspelo mi je zadržati
vsa svoja čustva v sebi
vsa svoja čustva v sebi
04:55
and answer the questions.
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in odgovarjati na vprašanja.
04:57
After they finished questioning me,
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Po zaslišanju
04:59
one official said to another,
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je uradnik rekel drugemu:
05:01
"This was a false report.
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"To je bila lažna prijava.
05:03
She's not North Korean."
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Ona ni Severna Korejka."
05:05
And they let me go. It was a miracle.
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In so me izpustili. To je bil čudež.
05:09
Some North Koreans in China seek asylum
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Nekateri Severni Korejci na Kitajskem
05:12
in foreign embassies,
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iščejo zavetišče
na tujih veleposlaništvih,
na tujih veleposlaništvih,
05:15
but many can be caught by the Chinese police
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ampak mnogo jih konča v rokah
kitajske policije,
kitajske policije,
05:18
and repatriated.
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ki jih nato deportira.
05:19
These girls were so lucky.
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Ta dekleta so imela srečo.
05:22
Even though they were caught,
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Četudi so jih ujeli,
05:23
they were eventually released
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so bila izpuščena
05:25
after heavy international pressure.
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po pritisku svetovne javnosti.
05:28
These North Koreans were not so lucky.
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Ti pa niso imeli take sreče.
05:31
Every year, countless North Koreans are caught in China
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Vsako leto je veliko Severnih Korejcev
ujetih na Kitajskem,
ujetih na Kitajskem,
05:35
and repatriated to North Korea,
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ki jih nato deportirajo
nazaj v Severno Korejo.
nazaj v Severno Korejo.
05:38
where they can be tortured, imprisoned
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Tam so mučeni, zaprti
05:41
or publicly executed.
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ali javna usmrčeni.
05:44
Even though I was really fortunate to get out,
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Čeprav sem imela srečo,
da sem se izognila temu,
da sem se izognila temu,
05:47
many other North Koreans have not been so lucky.
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mnogi drugi sodržavljani
niso imeli te sreče.
niso imeli te sreče.
05:50
It's tragic that North Koreans have to hide their identities
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Tragično je,
da morajo skrivati svojo identiteto
da morajo skrivati svojo identiteto
05:54
and struggle so hard just to survive.
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in se hudo truditi za golo preživetje.
05:58
Even after learning a new language and getting a job,
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Tudi po usvojitvi znanja tujega jezika
in pridobitvi zaposlitve
in pridobitvi zaposlitve
06:01
their whole world can be turned upside down in an instant.
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se lahko njihov svet
v hipu obrne na glavo.
v hipu obrne na glavo.
06:05
That's why, after 10 years of hiding my identity,
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Zato sem se po 10 letih
skrivanja identitete
skrivanja identitete
06:09
I decided to risk going to South Korea,
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odločila tvegati in iti v Južno Korejo,
06:13
and I started a new life yet again.
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kjer me je spet čakalo novo življenje.
06:16
Settling down in South Korea was a lot more challenging
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Ustaliti se v Južni Koreji
je bil večji zalogaj
je bil večji zalogaj
06:19
than I had expected.
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kot sem pričakovala.
06:22
English was so important in South Korea,
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Angleščina je bila zelo pomembna,
06:25
so I had to start learning my third language.
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zato sem se začela učiti
svoj tretji jezik.
svoj tretji jezik.
06:28
Also, I realized there was a wide gap
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Spoznala sem, da obstaja velika razlika
06:31
between North and South.
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med severom in jugom.
06:33
We are all Korean, but inside,
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Vsi smo Korejci, toda znotraj
06:36
we have become very different
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smo postali različni
06:37
due to 67 years of division.
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zaradi 67 let razdelitve.
06:41
I even went through an identity crisis.
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Doživela sem tudi krizo identitete.
06:45
Am I South Korean or North Korean?
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Sem Južna Korejka ali Severna Korejka?
06:48
Where am I from? Who am I?
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Od kod sem? Kdo sem?
06:51
Suddenly, there was no country
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Kar naenkrat ni bilo države,
06:53
I could proudly call my own.
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ki bi jo s ponosom klicala za svojo.
06:59
Even though adjusting to life in South Korea was not easy,
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Čeprav prilagajanje življenju na jugu
ni bilo lahko,
ni bilo lahko,
07:03
I made a plan.
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sem naredila načrt.
07:04
I started studying for the university entrance exam.
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Začela sem se učiti
za univerzitetni sprejemni izpit.
za univerzitetni sprejemni izpit.
07:07
Just as I was starting to get used to my new life,
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Ravno, ko sem se začela privajati
novemu življenju
novemu življenju
07:11
I received a shocking phone call.
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sem prejela vznemirjajoč telefonski klic.
07:14
The North Korean authorities
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Severnokorejske oblasti
07:15
intercepted some money that I sent to my family,
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so prestregle denar,
ki sem ga poslala svoji družini
ki sem ga poslala svoji družini
07:18
and, as a punishment, my family was going
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in za kazen jih je čakala
07:21
to be forcibly removed
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prisilna selitev
07:23
to a desolate location in the countryside.
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na zapuščeno lokacijo na podeželju.
07:27
They had to get out quickly,
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Morali so hitro oditi iz države,
07:29
so I started planning how to help them escape.
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zato sem začela načrtovati,
kako jim pomagati.
kako jim pomagati.
07:33
North Koreans have to travel incredible distances
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Severnokorejci morajo prepotovati
neverjetne razdalje,
neverjetne razdalje,
07:36
on the path to freedom.
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ki jih ločijo od svobode.
07:39
It's almost impossible to cross the border
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Skoraj nemogoče je prečkati mejo
07:42
between North Korea and South Korea,
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med Severno in Južno Korejo,
07:45
so, ironically, I took a flight back to China
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zato sem, ironično,
letela nazaj na Kitajsko
letela nazaj na Kitajsko
07:48
and I headed toward the North Korean border.
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in se napotila proti
meji s Severno Korejo.
meji s Severno Korejo.
07:52
Since my family couldn't speak Chinese,
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Ker moja družina ni znala kitajsko,
07:55
I had to guide them,
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sem jih morala nekako voditi
07:57
somehow, through more than 2,000 miles in China
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na poti več kot 3.200 km skozi Kitajsko
08:01
and then into Southeast Asia.
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in naprej v jugovzhodno Azijo.
08:04
The journey by bus took one week,
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Potovanje z avtobusom je trajalo en teden
08:06
and we were almost caught several times.
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in večkrat so nas skoraj ujeli.
08:09
One time, our bus was stopped
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Enkrat je naš avtobus ustavil
08:12
and boarded by a Chinese police officer.
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kitajski policist.
08:17
He took everyone's I.D. cards,
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Vsem je vzel osebne izkaznice
08:19
and he started asking them questions.
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in jim začel postavljati vprašanja.
08:21
Since my family couldn't understand Chinese,
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Moja družina ni razumela kitajsko
08:25
I thought my family was going to be arrested.
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in sem mislila, da bodo aretirani.
08:29
As the Chinese officer approached my family,
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Ko se jim je policist približal,
08:32
I impulsively stood up, and I told him
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sem kar vstala in mu povedala,
08:34
that these are deaf and dumb people
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da so to gluhonemi ljudje,
08:37
that I was chaperoning.
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ki sem jih spremljala.
08:39
He looked at me suspiciously,
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Sumničavo me je pogledal,
08:42
but luckily he believed me.
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toda na srečo mi je verjel.
08:45
We made it all the way to the border of Laos,
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Uspelo nam je priti vse do laoške meje.
08:49
but I had to spend almost all my money
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Porabila sem skoraj ves svoj denar
08:53
to bribe the border guards in Laos.
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za podkupnino laoškim carinikom.
08:56
But even after we got past the border,
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Tudi po prečkanju meje
08:59
my family was arrested and jailed
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je bila moja družina aretirana in priprta
09:02
for illegal border crossing.
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zaradi ilegalnega prečkanja meje.
09:04
After I paid the fine and bribe,
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Po plačilu kazni in podkupnine
09:06
my family was released in one month,
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so bili po enem mesecu izpuščeni.
09:10
but soon after, my family was arrested and jailed again
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Toda kmalu zatem so bili zopet
aretirani in priprti
aretirani in priprti
09:14
in the capital of Laos.
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v laoški prestolnici.
09:16
This was one of the lowest points in my life.
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To je bila ena izmed najnižjih
točk mojega življenja.
točk mojega življenja.
09:21
I did everything to get my family to freedom,
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Storila sem vse za svobodo svoje družine.
09:26
and we came so close,
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Bili smo tako blizu,
09:29
but my family was thrown in jail
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ampak bili so priprti
09:31
just a short distance from the South Korean embassy.
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zelo blizu
južnokorejskega veleposlaništva.
južnokorejskega veleposlaništva.
09:34
I went back and forth between the immigration office
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Hodila sem od urada za priseljence
09:37
and the police station,
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do policijske postaje in nazaj,
09:39
desperately trying to get my family out,
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v obupnem iskanju
rešitve za svojo družino.
rešitve za svojo družino.
09:42
but I didn't have enough money
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Nisem pa več imela dovolj denarja
09:44
to pay a bribe or fine anymore.
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za plačilo kazni ali podkupnine.
09:46
I lost all hope.
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Izgubila sem vso upanje.
09:48
At that moment, I heard one man's voice ask me,
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Takrat sem zaslišala moškega,
ki me je vprašal:
ki me je vprašal:
09:52
"What's wrong?"
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"Kaj je narobe?"
09:53
I was so surprised
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Presenečena sem bila,
09:55
that a total stranger cared enough to ask.
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da je popolnemu tujcu bilo mar
in me je vprašal.
in me je vprašal.
09:59
In my broken English, and with a dictionary,
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S pomočjo slovarja
in svojo polomljeno angleščino
in svojo polomljeno angleščino
10:01
I explained the situation, and without hesitating,
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sem mu razložila situacijo
in brez pomisleka
in brez pomisleka
10:05
the man went to the ATM
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je moški šel do bankomata
10:07
and he paid the rest of the money for my family
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in plačal preostali znesek
za izpustitev iz zapora
za izpustitev iz zapora
10:10
and two other North Koreans to get out of jail.
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moje družine in še dveh
drugih Severnih Korejcev.
drugih Severnih Korejcev.
10:14
I thanked him with all my heart, and I asked him,
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Zahvalila sem se mu iz vsega srca
in ga vprašala:
in ga vprašala:
10:18
"Why are you helping me?"
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"Zakaj mi pomagate?"
10:20
"I'm not helping you," he said.
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"Ne pomagam vam", je odvrnil.
10:22
"I'm helping the North Korean people."
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"Pomagal sem severnokorejskem narodu."
10:26
I realized that this was a symbolic moment in my life.
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Spoznal sem, da je to bil
simbolični trenutek v mojem življenju.
simbolični trenutek v mojem življenju.
10:30
The kind stranger symbolized new hope for me
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Prijazni tujec je bil simbol
novega upanja zame
novega upanja zame
10:34
and the North Korean people when we needed it most,
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in za Severne Korejce,
takrat ko smo ga res potrebovali.
takrat ko smo ga res potrebovali.
10:37
and he showed me the kindness of strangers
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Pokazal je, da so prijaznost tujcev
10:40
and the support of the international community
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in podpora svetovne javnosti
10:43
are truly the rays of hope we North Korean people need.
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resnično žarki upanja,
ki jih severnokorejski narod potrebuje.
ki jih severnokorejski narod potrebuje.
10:48
Eventually, after our long journey,
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Naposled, po dolgem popotovanju
10:51
my family and I were reunited in South Korea,
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sem bila ponovno skupaj
z družino v Južni Koreji,
z družino v Južni Koreji,
10:54
but getting to freedom is only half the battle.
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toda prihod v svobodo
je bil le en del bitke.
je bil le en del bitke.
10:58
Many North Koreans are separated from their families,
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Mnogo Severnih Korejcev
je ločenih od svojih družin
je ločenih od svojih družin
11:01
and when they arrive in a new country,
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in ko prispejo v novo državo,
11:04
they start with little or no money.
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imajo komajda kaj denarja.
11:08
So we can benefit from the international community
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Od svetovne javnosti imamo lahko koristi
11:11
for education, English language training,
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v izobraževanju, učenju angleščine,
11:14
job training, and more.
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službeni praksi in še kaj.
11:16
We can also act as a bridge
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Lahko tudi služimo kot most
11:18
between the people inside North Korea
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med ljudmi znotraj Severne Koreje
11:20
and the outside world,
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in zunanjim svetom,
11:22
because many of us stay in contact
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kajti mnogo od nas ohranja stike
11:25
with family members still inside,
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z družinskimi člani tam
11:28
and we send information and money
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in jim pošiljamo denar in informacije,
11:30
that is helping to change North Korea from inside.
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ki pomagajo spreminjati
Severno Korejo od znotraj.
Severno Korejo od znotraj.
11:35
I've been so lucky, received so much help
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Imela sem srečo,
da sem bila deležna pomoči
da sem bila deležna pomoči
11:38
and inspiration in my life,
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in navdiha v svojem življenju,
11:40
so I want to help give aspiring North Koreans
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zato hočem pomagati dati
ambicioznim Severnim Korejcem
ambicioznim Severnim Korejcem
11:43
a chance to prosper
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možnost uspeha
11:46
with international support.
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z mednarodno pomočjo.
11:49
I'm confident that you will see more and more
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Prepričana sem, da boste videli
11:51
North Koreans succeeding all over the world,
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zmeraj več Severnih Korejcev,
ki uspevajo po vsem svetu,
ki uspevajo po vsem svetu,
11:54
including the TED stage.
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vključno s TED odrom.
11:57
Thank you.
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Hvala.
11:59
(Applause)
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(Aplavz)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Hyeonseo Lee - ActivistAs a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thoght her country was the "best on the planet." It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 17-years-old to begin a life in hiding as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind.
Why you should listen
Hyeonseo Lee grew up in North Korea but escaped to China in 1997. In 2008, when she was 28-years-old, she came to Seoul, South Korea, where she struggled to adjust to life in the bustling city. North Korean defectors often have a hard time in South Korea, she noted in the Wall Street Journal: "We defectors have to start from scratch. Prejudice against North Koreans and icy stares were other obstacles that were hard to cope with."
Now a student at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, she has become an advocate for fellow refugees, even helping close relatives leave North Korea after they were targeted. Her dream? As she told the Korea Times, she'd like to work at the UN or an NGO that advocates for the human rights of North Koreans, including their right to be treated as political refugees.
She has a new book called The Girl with Seven Names.
Hyeonseo Lee | Speaker | TED.com