A MOTHER-OF-THREE who escaped the murderous regime in North Korea twice is now dedicating her life to helping other refugees rebuild theirs.

Jihyun Park was born in North Korea. She was separated from her son, who was five at the time, but was reunited with him, and eventually made it to the UK ­— now living in Fairfield, Bury.

Jihyun was working as a schoolteacher when famine struck her country in the 1990s. Her uncle and father starved to death.

Fearful they would die too if they did not escape, Jihyun and her brother fled to the border in 1998. But the siblings were separated as they crossed into China, her brother being sent back to North Korea. Jihyun became a victim of human trafficking and was sold into forced marriage to a Chinese farmer for 5,000 yuan — the equivalent of £500 — with whom she had a child.

In 2004, she was arrested and sent back to North Korea, where she faced torture and persecution in a forced labour camp. She developed gangrene, and the security guards threw her out of prison because they believed she was close to death. A kind stranger nursed her back to health and helped her to escape and reunite with her son.

Now living in the Fairfield area of Bury, Jihyun helps North Korean refugees in the UK to rebuild their lives, and campaigns for the rights of all North Koreans to live without fear of torture and persecution.

Bury Times:

Jihyun has used her personal experience to raise awareness of human rights violations inside North Korea, and has shared her story at the UN, UK and EU Parliaments.

Her work has been recognised by Amnesty International UK, who have bestowed upon her one of their first Brave Awards.

Speaking after receiving the award, Jihyun said that it was only when she arrived in England that she heard the words refugee, human rights and women's rights for the first time ­— none of which existed for her in North Korea.

She added: "The reason I became a human rights activist is because I saw someone else's pain for the first time.

"The loss of my parents and trafficking in China, forced repatriation, and pain in prison have always hurt me, and I have never shown my pain to people.

"One day, when I lifted my head and looked to the side, I began to see people who were sicker than me.

"As one who found freedom, it was the duty of the free people to voice and fight for those who are still in the dark.

"Every action you take toward freedom comes with enormous risks and pains. Progress takes time and there's no guarantee of success. However it's more likely to succeed if you exploit the weakness of a dictator rather then going ahead to head.

"This award remind me to stand up and fight dictators for North Koreans and all those who have not yet found their rights."

Bury Times:

The awards, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, celebrate “ordinary people with extraordinary passion” across the UK who are making a difference in their communities.

Sanjay Singh, Senior Programmes Manager for International Development and Environment at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “Jihyun’s story is a harrowing one but one that is shared by thousands of women. To have the strength to tell her story will help so many others both in recovery and seeking reform and prevention.”

The accolade was given for Jihyun’s work to help North Korean refugees, and for her campaigning for the rights of all North Koreans to live without fear of torture and persecution.

The award was announced on the World Day of Social Justice, marked on February 20. Jihyun won alongside Anna Kernahan, a 17-year-old climate activist from Northern Ireland, Pinar Aksu, a Scottish immigration campaigner, and Dermot Devlin, a disability advocate from Northern Ireland.

The Amnesty Brave Awards are part of Amnesty’s global Brave campaign, which highlights the dangers many human rights defenders face around the world. The campaign also calls on governments to afford better protection for human rights defenders.

Sara Rydkvist, Amnesty UK’s Human Rights Defenders Campaign Manager, said: “It has been incredibly inspiring to see so many human rights defenders from all across the UK enter the Brave Awards.

“The winners and those nominated have all demonstrated extraordinary passion for human rights and shown outstanding dedication to making their communities fairer and more equal for all.

“With human rights defenders around the world facing increasing challenges it’s important we continue to celebrate and recognise the amazing work they do both in the UK and around the world.”