“Breathing in South Korea, even though the life here is not easy, makes me so happy. I feel that sitting in a coffee shop, having a cup of tea, and looking out of the window at the blue sky - this is happiness. Truly happiness.”

North Korean defector and activist

Lee Hyeon-seo is a North Korean defector and activist based in Seoul, South Korea. She is best known for her book, The Girl with Seven Names. She escaped North Korea and later helped guide her family out of the country through China and Laos. Her public work centers on defection, survival, and the difficult choices faced by people leaving North Korea.