What happened
North Korean defector Yeonmi Park is speaking out against communism, sharing her personal experience of oppression and human trafficking. Park will be speaking at an anti-communism event at Cornerstone University, a Christian school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, titled "Why Not Communism? A Wisdom Conversation on Freedom, Faith and the Future of America". The event aims to examine the history and consequences of communism and socialism.
Park grew up under North Korea's socialist government during the devastating famines of the 1990s, experiencing hunger, poverty, and political persecution. She escaped to China with her mother at age 13, but was sold into human trafficking rings. After two years of exploitation, Christian activist networks helped them escape through Mongolia, and they eventually found freedom in South Korea.
Cornerstone University President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño expressed concern about Americans' growing openness to communist and socialist ideologies, citing the "dark history" of these systems. Park warned that freedom is rare throughout much of the world and should never be treated casually, with the Varieties of Democracy Institute estimating that 74% of the global population lives under autocratic governments.
For Park, defending freedom is a matter of personal experience, having lived through the harsh realities of a socialist government. She emphasized that many American students encounter communism as an attractive theory without understanding its practical consequences. Park's story serves as a warning to Americans about the dangers of communism and the importance of defending God-given human dignity and liberty.
