Hyeonseo Lee discusses her escape from North Korea's oppressive regime. How is her story similar to the stories we heard in the video about people escaping East Germany via the Berlin War?
View the following video: https://www.ted.com/talks/hyeonseo_lee_my_escape_from_north_korea?language=en#t-105531
Hyeonseo Lee discusses her escape from North Korea's oppressive regime. How is her story similar to the stories we heard in the video about people escaping East Germany via the Berlin War?
Eleni P.
4/3/2016 11:52:51 am
Hyeonseo Lee's story is similar to the stories that we heard in the video about people escaping Germany via the Berlin Wall in the way that Lee and the people in the other video were both trying to escape an oppressive government. In Lee's video she discusses how it was extremely difficult for her to escape and she had to face many hardships in the process, such as being arrested and interrogated multiple times. At one point she got accused of being North Korean and was taken by Chinese police. The police tested her Chinese speaking abilities and asked her a series of questions and she was miraculously able to escape due to the assumption that she had been falsely accused. In the video that we watched in class, people faced the same sort of situation. Many people tried to leave East Germany to escape the Communist regime. A large majority of those people however were caught and shot on site. In both videos it is clear that attempting to escape Communism was unfortunately a very formidable task.
Alli
4/3/2016 01:07:11 pm
This story is similar to those in East Germany because they both countries are depressed and the governments are oppressive. The people are looking for a better life for them and their families. For the people in East Germany, the Berlin Wall was a sudden change that ripped families apart but in North Korea there was genocide happening long before people turned their attention towards it. As Hyeonseo Lee described, she had not noticed the poverty of the North Korean people before she was seven years old and she saw her first public execution. The North Korean government was "training" its young children to see the outside world as the enemy and brainwash them into thinking that their government knows whats right. The people in East Germany were also suppressed by being confined to one city and being boarded off from the rest of the world. It was hard for the people from both of these countries to escape to oppression but many were rebellious and hopped the boarder and the Berlin Wall. The situation in East Germany had not escalated to the massive suppression as seen in North Korea but it was in the beginning stages to a long road of oppression and torture for the Germany people. However, the wall in Berlin eventually came down but North Koreans are still scrapping to get out of their country.
Lindsay
4/3/2016 02:54:06 pm
Hyeonseo Lee's story on escaping is similar to those stories in the video of people trying to escape Germany via the Berlin Wall because they all demonstrated the difficulities people faced in trying to escape Communism as a whole. The journey towards freedom for Lee and the others was a hard one that included encounters with the police, many interogations, and a true test towards their strength and desire to be free. The confinement and suppression that all of these people lived through shows how these different circumstances had the same result; people risking their lives, the lives of their families, and the freedom of all persons involved if they got caught.
Zack
4/3/2016 03:47:39 pm
Hyeonseo Lee's story on escaping is similar to those stories in the video of people trying to escape Germany by the Berlin Wall because they all demonstrated the difficulities people faced in trying to escape Communism. The journey for Lee and the others was a hard one that included encounters with the police, many interrogations, and was a true test towards their desire to be free. The confinement and suppression that these people lived through shows how these different circumstances had the same result. People risking their lives, the lives of their families, and the freedom of all persons involved if they got caught.
Zack
4/3/2016 04:37:06 pm
This is similar to the situation in North Korea because the citizens are being forced to live under communism. People try to escape the country and are killed if they are caught. Also if they escape the government will punish the families of these escaped citizens.
Tyler Balon
4/3/2016 04:09:25 pm
In many ways, Hyeonso Lee's story can be compared to the hardships of those who tried to escape East Berlin from 1961-1989. These communist states both aimed to isolate their citizens in an attempt to cut them off from the outside world and maintain dominance over the people. The video chronicles Lee's story as she tries to escape North Korea and find a place of refuge which was not controlled by an oppressive regime. During this journey, she suffers greatly and many perish as they unsuccessfully try to escape the country. In a way, these stories demonstrate why a perfect communistic society would not be viable. Both the USSR and North Korea instituted a system which created poverty rather than equality. When a country resorts to isolationism, those who are in power become wealthy and it is the citizens who suffer as a result of their political ideology and greed. The construction of walls such as the one seen in Berlin or the utilization of oppressive regimes in Lee's case tears families apart and results in the suffering and death of those seeking greater freedoms. Today North Korea serves as an example of what could have been East Berlin. Without international action, oppressive regimes can control millions of people and subject them to poverty and inhumane conditions. Lee's story is just one of many when it comes to the quest for equality and an escape of the flawed concept and implementation of communism.
Leila
4/3/2016 04:28:36 pm
Hyeonseo Lee shares with us her escape from North Korea and the struggles that she and her family faced which sounded very similar to the stories in the video during class, about people escaping East Germany via the Berlin Wall. Both situations clearly portray the struggles and hardships one faced escaping from North Korea, or East Germany. In both stories, many individuals were trying to escape Communism. In Hyeonseo Lees video, she shares the process she went through which included encountering the police and being interrogated multiple times about whether or not she was North Korean. The Chinese police she runs into, then test her asking many questions about her and her family. She suddenly responds saying that they are deaf and so they cannot speak to the officer. In the video that we saw in class, many individuals ran into those kind of situations where they were tested, interrogated, and taken into custody. Families, partners, and individuals were attempting to leave East Germany to rascals the Communist regime. Some lasted but others, which was the majority, were caught and then shot. They risked their own lives and put themselves forward for their loved ones just like Lee did. Above all, Lees story and the stories that were shared in the video fro class, were very similar in the way that everyone trying to escape had to go through a lot, and showed their desire for freedom, their encounters with the police, and how far they would go to save one another.
Jake Charbonneau
4/3/2016 05:26:32 pm
The story of Hyeonseo Lee and her escape from North Korea is similar to stories we have heard about the Berlin wall, which split the German city of Berlin in half. Both Germany and North Korea had attempted to box their citizens in and completely restrict their access to the outside world. We see here with Hyeonseo Lee, the many hardships she faced in her home country, along with the great lengths she went to to escape. the trouble didnt stop there, however. Even when she left the country, she had to deny even being of that nationality (with a pretty clever tactic: acting deaf during Chinese police interrogation). Both North Korea and Germany during the time of the Berlin Wall are examples of communist nations exerting total control over their people. Many tried to escape the Berlin Wall, a select few may have made it, but violence was brought upon those who were caught. it was not uncommon to hear of those who were shot and killed attempting to escape. This goes for North Korea as well. Hyeonseo Lee is lucky to have made it out alive. Both these communist nations were not afraid to exert any means of violence on those with even the idea of escaping. Yes, the Berlin Wall was knocked down November 9, 1989, but the "wall" shielding the people of North Korea from the outside world has yet to fall. That same wall that brought so many hardships down on the life of Hyeonseo Lee and her family. North Korea is now a prime example of what would have happened to the city of Berlin had the wall never been taken down. Hyeonseo Lee's story is most definitely similar to countless people who were within the walls in West Berlin for nearly thirty years. However, these stories do show the citizens will to go through with their plans to escape and achieve freedom for themselves, their families, and their fellow citizens under the oppression of communism.
Steven Anzivino
4/3/2016 07:56:45 pm
North Korea and E. Germany were both communistic oppressionistic governments which lead their people to be unsatisfied and silently questioning. This government setup lead to both countries to enact harsh laws against anyone who tried to leave for other countries. Hyeonseo Lee's plight of escaping North Korea is much like those who attempted to escape East Germany during the days of the Berlin Wall. Anyone who escaped faced potential retribution against their family or simply never getting to hear from them again. There was real danger in escaping, for those trying to leave and those attempting to help them. Though we didn't see it, there was assuredly some bribery of German officials during this time. Hyeonseo only manages to get as far as she did by spending all of her life's money for her family just as many others would have done in Germany.
Erika
4/3/2016 09:26:37 pm
The story of Hyeonseo Lee runs parallel to the stories of those who faced similar challenges in their attempts to escape East Germany. The similarities begin at what Hyeonseo and the people of East Germany were trying to escape, an oppressive and controlling government attempting to hold complete control over the lives of its citizens. In both instances, attempted escapes were also from isolated and completely controlled regions. The similarities continue to show as the story goes into the challenges Hyeonseo faced during her attempt at escape from North Korea. While those who had attempted escape from East Germany faced arrest, imprisonment, and in extreme cases execution, Hyeonseo also faced arrest and direct encounter with the police. Both instances of escape carry the common theme that true desires and wishes for freedom come at an extreme cost, but those who truly want it will risk it all in order to obtain freedom.
Julia Germani
4/3/2016 09:55:40 pm
The story of Hyeonseo Lee in which she discusses her escape from North Korea's oppressive regime is very comparable to the stories our class heard in the video about people escaping East Germany via the Berlin War. This is due to the fact that both resulted in the destruction of relationships of families. This occurred not only in North Korea when individuals attempted to escape and his or her family was threatened, but also, to those whose family members were physically blocked by the Berlin Wall. In addition to this, in both of these situations individuals were denied their rights and oppressed. Despite this, many were still able to overcome the actions of the tyrannical government they were subject to. However, they will never forget the suffering they endured as a result.
Abby M
4/4/2016 12:13:17 am
Hyeonseo Lee's story is similar to the stories told in the video where people tried to escape Germany via the Berlin Wall because they both illustrated the difficulities people faced in attempt to escape oppression. Both Germany and North Korea had oppressive governments that many attempted to escape from. These countries tried to isolate the people who lived there from the outside world. When people would try to escape they would have to risk their lives, their familie's lives, and the relationships they had with loved ones. What these stories have in common is the strength and determination of individuals like Hyeonseo Lee. Also, the same difficulties such as encounters with police and potential loss. These stories both show the perseverance and bravery that so many individuals had.
Sandra Nkwantabisa
4/4/2016 01:04:38 am
Hyeonseo Lee discussed her escape from North Korea's oppressive regime which was similar to many stories in the video about escaping East Germany. Hyeonseo Lee described East Germany as oppressive and a bad life which is was similar to how many East Germans described East Germany. There was no way out of North Korea without escaping and most times, people escaped without their family as Hyeonseo Lee explained. This was the same situation in East Germany where many people escaped alone risking death in order to get to freedom. She described that South Korea and North Korea were almost like two separate countries due to 67 years of being separated. Although East Germany and West Germany were not separated as long as North and South Korea, there was a big difference in the way of life. East Germany was oppressive like North Korea and was under communist rule where as South Korea and West Germany were controlled by Western Powers. Hyeonseo Lee explained how a stranger helped her pay the bribe in order to get her family out of jail which is reminded me of when the man helped people out of East Germany through underground tunnels. Both of the men were strangers to the people but helped the North Koreans/East Germans out because they knew that they were helping them to freedom. There were many other things that were similar in both videos such as North Koreans dying trying to get to South Korea which was also similar to the man who was shot and paralyzed while trying to cross the East German border. Although it did not end fatally for that man, many others lost their lives and were jailed for trying to cross the border. Both videos explained and shared compelling stories of escaping the suffering of a Communist government and showed great similarities.
Garrett Scahill
4/4/2016 02:14:38 am
Let me start this off saying that I downloaded the video so I could watch it offline and it gave me the option of subtitles. I really regretted not taking the subtitles. But this story is a lot like what happened with the Berlin Wall. It speaks of oppression and families being cut off from each other, as well as fleeing countries.
Garrett Scahill
4/4/2016 02:17:42 am
Accidently posted that... but there was jailing, hunger, despair, and many other things. There is also an idea, of police not doing anything to help the oppressed people because order said not to you. In that sense, it was a lot like the Berlin Wall.
Talia Torkomian
4/4/2016 05:57:41 am
Hyenseo Lee's story of escaping from North Korea is very similar to the stories we heard in the video about people escaping Germany via the Berlin Wall. Both stories involve an oppressive government regime that limited what the countries citizens could do and where they could go. In Hyenseo Lee's story, like the one in class, she had to sneak out of her country all alone at a young age leaving her family behind for fourteen years. The border between north and South Korea was nearly impossible to cross like the Berlin Wall so North Koreans had to find other ways to escape into countries like China. Both stories spoke of the horrific actions that took place and the brutal killings of any people caught escaping or helping others do so. North Koreans were beat and starved causing them to have lives of poverty living in fear. After she escaped Hyenseo Lee lived in China and was eventually caught by the Chinese police. They did let her go but this goes to show how other countries were unwilling to assist in the breaking of North Korean laws. Living a life with a hidden identity was a struggle for her but it wasn't as hard as her families lives in North Korea so she worked to free them which was just as difficult as it was to escape through the Berlin Wall. She had to lie to police in order to attempt to stay out of jail and she struggled financially to support her family. She spoke of a man who selflessly gave her some money in order to help the struggle of North Koreans. This man was like some of the people in the video we watched in class who helped people to escape through tunnels and helped these escapees to stay safe long after they crossed the Berlin Wall. One last thing these incredible stories of escapees have in common is the perserverance and determination to turn their lives around and the struggle they chose to endure to live better lives.
Mackenzie
4/4/2016 06:12:05 am
Hyeonseo Lee's story is similar to the ones told in the video where many others were faced with the same challenges of trying to escape East Germany. Hyeonseo and the people of East Germany just wanted to escape the oppressive and controlling government of Germany and North Korea. These countries tried to isolate the lives of innocent people from the rest of the world. It resulted in the destruction of many families. In East Germany many people escaped alone leaving their families behind and risking death in order to get their freedom. The Berlin Wall physically blocked people from seeing their families. The other stories told had the same determination and strength the Hyeonseo had. They just wanted freedom for themselves, their families and the citizens of their country.
Victoria lane
4/4/2016 06:43:08 am
In both videos the idea of fighting for freedom was shown. Both people from both videos were living in a way were the government power was being used for the wrong reasons and the people felt the need to get away. However through the process of getting away both groups of people from both videos had hardships to face. If one was even caught trying to get away they would of been shot or punished. This idea of escape separated families and made some lose loved ones. The ones who were trying to escape from the communist leaders vs. Hyeonseo Lees story of trying to escape the government that controlled her were similar. Both showing what they had to do to break away from what was holding them back which was the government at the time.
Alexi Francesconi
4/4/2016 07:03:44 am
These two fights for freedom have a lot on common. Both of these situations are occurring due to the government taking control over where they can and cannot go and that separated them from their loved ones. The government aimed to completely cut them off from the outside world which no one wanted to follow. Hyeonseo Lee was not completely trapped in by a wall, but she was given no freedom outside of North Korea so her fight for freedom was very similar to the fight of many of those trapped inside West Berlin.
Matthew Krawetz
4/4/2016 07:31:23 am
Both the video we just watched and the videos we watched in school showed that the Berlin Wall oppressed people and tore apart families. Their freedom was taken away and replaced with a wall separating Berlin in half. Hyeonseo Lee's freedom was taken away from her just like the people separated by the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall physically separated friends and family from eah other and tore the country apart whilst taking away their freedom
Bethany
4/4/2016 07:34:39 am
Hyeoenseo Lee's story is similar to the people of West Berlin, who were oppressed by the Berlin Wall. Both stories were about oppression from their home countries. Lee was never trapped by a wall but North Korea took away all her freedom. She was threatened, her family was threatened and she was not able to escape North Korea's strict regimen like the people who were trapped by the Berlin Wall.
James Kozlowski
4/4/2016 07:41:57 am
The two videos are very similar. They both tell stories of opression and escape from that opression. Hyenseo had to try to escape her country to get away from the corruption that is going on in the country. This is very aimilar to the video on Germany because people wanted to escape over the wall. In trying to do so they had to go through many hardships, weather they were trying to escape east Germany or Korea. They were both stories that tell of risking their lives and their families lives by trying to escape the opression of the government.
Derek Degnan
4/4/2016 04:20:13 pm
The story of Hyeonseo Lee is very similar to the many stories of citizens of the Soviet controlled East Germany. Those who attempted to cross the Berlin Wall into West Germany were often met with a horrible fate of a gruesome death. Those who were lucky enough to escape East Germany were forever separated from their families, and their families would be hunted down by Soviet authorities. This is very similar to Hyeonseo Lee's story. Although she couldn't say how she escaped North Korea, she risked her life and was able to escape to China. She recalled the amount of dead bodies floating in the river that separates China and North Korea, from people who previously attempted to escape. However, she was separated from her family, and after 14 years , she finally decided to get her family out. On the journey to South Korea with her family, her family was arrested multiple times, and she ran out of money for bribes and bail. Miraculously, she was helped by a complete stranger to bail her family out and eventually escape for good. These two accounts of life-ricking escapes draw parallels in that many people died and risked their lives to escape a totalitarian regime, and that those who escaped often found themselves without money or food. Luckily Hyeonseo Lee was able to escape and start her new life in a new, safer home.
Ben Reeves
4/4/2016 09:18:50 pm
The story of Hyeonseo Lee is very similar to that of people leaving North Korea in that if one family member escaped the country, or was caught attempting to escape then the family of that person would be imprisoned or executed. This shows the lack of mercy on the part of these similar totalitarian regimes. Their cruel actions separated families, friends, and acquaintances. Because of this genocide of the Soviets, the United States entered a long period called the Cold War. Although war never broke out, tension grew between the pro-communistic Soviet Union forces and anti-communistic United States.
Sean Doris
4/4/2016 09:46:41 pm
The story of Hyeonseo Lee is a story in which she discusses her escape from North Korea. North Korea is very similar to Eastern Germany during the Berlin War. Both nations had and have communistic governments that oppressed its people. These governments cut off their countries from the outside world, allowing no one in or out. These countries even made laws and punishments for anyone who tried to escape from the country. If anyone escaped from these countries then the government would go after that person’s family if they were still in the country. Hyeonseo Lee’s family was punished when the government found out that she left. This would also happen to anyone who left Eastern Germany. People in Eastern Germany were surrounded by a wall, and if they were able to escape their families would also be punished. In both these countries their citizens were oppressed and denied of all rights. Even though many have successfully escaped from these countries, there has also be many failures, that lead to suffering that still goes on today.
justin
4/5/2016 09:48:28 am
Experiences during the north Korea and Berlin are very related to eachother and relatively the same. Both countries policedthere people incredibly strictly and treated them poorly. The people were not allowed to leave and if they attempted it either them or there families would be punished. Lee's family is a perfect example of this because they were punished because the government could not get and punish Lee. With Germany if you escaped you escaped Germany would not try and capture and arrest you, they would simply shoot you. Living in either of these countries was extremely hard and escaping them was harder with severe consequences. Comments are closed.
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