Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Behind happiness there is sorrow, and behind sorrow there is happiness….
The way to overcome is not to get rid of them, but to get over them and become free from obsession.”

Throughout her adult life, people have said that she always looks happy and positive, that she “must have grown up in a very good environment in North Korea.” People have mistaken her “happiness” and “positivity” as something that she was born with.

Not so. With tremendous effort, she chose to look at the bright side of life. This determination has brought her to this point.

As a child, she grew up in a broken family with a father who did not respect the vows of marriage.
After her parents’ divorce, she essentially became an orphan as her father started a new family and her mother became mentally ill and abusive, eventually ending up in a mental hospital. Although her grandparents took her in, this was no consolation.

She thought of herself as “an orphan” born to an “unfortunate fate,” and lied to people that her parents had died when asked.
From within, she fought the efforts of the North Korean society that wanted to label and define her as a troubled child and forged her own future leading to her escape from North Korea in 2012 in search of freedom.

The toughest thing in the world may be to share your inner most secrets. Sometimes, it makes you feel naked. Seeing this story as a source of strength for others to break from the shackles of cultural and traditional norms, she has decided that it is worth telling. [Nationality: North Korean]
Eunhee is a delightful young lady who was born and raised in North Korea. She is now a college student in South Korea, a popular public speaker in both Korean and English, and a Special Ambassador for Teach North Korean Refugees (TNKR). She didn’t grow up with such a happy demeanor though, as it took tremendous inner strength and determination to overcome her environment of living in a broken household with an abusive, mentally ill mother. Coupled with a regime that punished women for wearing earrings and having long hair, it was a mighty task. Determined not to be defined by the social and cultural forces of the North Korean society and regime, she forced herself to put on a smile and look on the bright side of life. After the death of her mother, Eunheeset off on the journey of her life in search of freedom. The freedom to wear earrings, dye her hair, and wear hot pants to her heart’s content. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx