North Korean Born in a Prison Camp: ‘My Favorite Word Is Freedom’

"I thank you for inviting me. My name is Shin Dong Hyuk. My home town is in North Korea. At present, I cannot return to my home town. I was born in a political prison camp. My parents were political prisoners and when I was born, I became a political prisoner as well. When I turned 14, my mother and my older brother were publicly executed. My father and I had to stand and watch the death of my mother and brother. However, I couldn't cry at that moment. I never learned how to cry upon my mother and brother's death in political prisoner camp.

"I'd like to ask you to open your eyes and look around this room. And look for anyone who looks evil. In my eyes, there is not a single person who seems to be evil in this room. But I'd like you to know that we can find evilness in the heart of all men. In Nazi concentration camps 6 million people were slaughtered by people whose faces seemed to reflect goodness of their heart. And 60 years later, at this moment in North Korea, hundreds of thousands of political prisoners are waiting for their death.

"My favorite word is freedom. If North Korean dictator has his freedom, then the North Korean people should also enjoy their freedom. No one has a right to deprive anyone the DNA of mankind -- freedom.

"I do not not have any power in my hand, so I'd like to ask this from you. Please relieve my North Korean brothers and sisters from their predicaments. Thank you for your attention."