Yeonmi Park: net worth, age, husband, surgery, book, education, career, profiles
No one will overlook Yeonmi Park's speech about her experience as a North Korean defector at the One Young World 2014 Summit in Dublin, Ireland. Few could picture a young lady enduring such a life, but Park's survival served as an inspiration to numerous young women. Her incredible journey can be read in her book, In Order to Live, and Briefly has provided you with the highlights.
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Source: Getty Images
Since she has settled down in the United States, what is Yeonmi Park doing now? Read on with Briefly to find out more.
Yeonmi Park's profile and bio
- Full name: Yeonmi Park
- Famous for: Her speech at the One Young World 2014 Summit
- Gender: Female
- Place of birth: Hyesan, North Korea
- Date of birth: 4 October 1993
- Zodiac: Libra
- Age: 29 in 2022
- Current residence: New York, USA
- Nationality: American/North Korean
- Ethnicity: North Korean
- Sexuality: Straight
- Yeonmi Park's husband: Ezekiel (divorced 2020)
- Children: James
- Parents: Park Jin Sik, Keum Sook Byeon
- Siblings: Eun-mi
- Height: 5 feet 4 inches
- Weight: 52 kg
- Eye colour: Brown
- Hair colour: Black
- School: Columbia University
- Occupation: Human rights activist
- Books: In Order to Live
- Net worth: $500,000 as of 2021
- Yeonmi Park's Instagram: @yeonmi_park
- Facebook: YeonmiPark
- Twitter: @yeonmiparkNK
- YouTube: "Voice of North Korea by Yeonmi Park"
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Yeonmi Park's family
This brave young woman is a North Korean defector who was born in Hyesan, Ryanggang Province, on 4 October 1993. Her father, Jin Sik, transported stolen goods and metals into China and illegally traded in Chinese-made items, including clothes, cigarettes, sugar, and rice. He was detained and transported to a forced labour camp at one stage. He has since died from colon cancer.
In 2007, Yeonmi Park's sister, Eun-mi, who was 16 at the time, escaped to China with the help of a smuggler. Yeonmi remained in North Korea with her mother, Keum Sook Byeon.
Source: Instagram
The young lady was married to an American citizen named Ezekiel in early January 2017. Yeonmi Park's education at Columbia University focused on General Studies and was put on hold when the young activist fell pregnant. She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on 18 March 2018, and the baby is of mixed ethnicity.
As of 2020, Yeonmi Park and Ezekiel are no longer married.
Yeonmi Park's story
At just 13 years old, she crossed the partially frozen Yalu River into China in 2007, fleeing her homeland of North Korea with her mother. She claims she was subjected to sexual assault by a human trafficker and witnessed her mother being sold and forced to marry a Chinese farm worker. She later journeyed over the Gobi Desert to Mongolia in search of sanctuary before arriving in South Korea in 2009.
The renowned author described striking a deal with her smuggler, who promised to reconnect her with her parents if she agreed to become his "xiao-xifu," or mistress. Deportation to North Korea, perhaps followed by jail or execution, was the only other option available.
Yeonmi Park's book titled "In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom," tells her incredible story and was published in September 2015.
Yeonmi Park and Jordan Peterson also appear on a podcast together titled "Tyranny, Slavery and Columbia U", which received over one million views and counting.
Does South Korea accept North Korean defectors?
South Korea has rejected refugee status for ethnic Chinese people who have been "stateless" since they fled North Korea years ago, two of the applicants and an activists' group said on Wednesday. The "stateless" designation makes it extremely difficult for them to get jobs and receive essential government-provided services.
Has anyone escaped North Korea? Every year, over 1,000 people defect from North Korea.
What does Yeonmi Park do for a living?
When the 29-year old is not busy being a single mom or creating YouTube content, she travels the world raising awareness about North Korea's repressive regime.
Yeonmi Park's net worth
From all of her book sales, the young woman has accumulated an estimated net worth of $500,000 as of 2021.
At Yeonmi Park's age (29) and considering her troubling past, this is an incredible accomplishment.
Source: Instagram
Yeonmi Park has endured more struggled than most could imagine, but she has used her hardships to inspire others and give them strength. In addition, the young author has used her status to enlighten the world about human rights issues and continues to serve as an activist today. Catch her YouTube Channel, "Voice of North Korea", for updates on her progress.
READ ALSO: 33 Human Trafficking Victims from Ethiopia Rescued in Midrand, 65 Others Sold for R17 000 Each
A foreign person from Ethiopia is suspected of being involved in human trafficking has been apprehended by the police. 33 Ethiopian nationals were being held at a residence in Midrand when the Johannesburg metro police department intervened.
According to Wayne Minnaar, a spokesperson for the JMPD, the police were unable to save 65 more people who were reportedly sold to business owners; read on with Briefly for more.
Source: Briefly News
