"From Communism to Freedom"

“From Communism to Freedom”

Seo Chulryong, or Justin his American name, sits in our English classroom at Monroe Community College. He is dressed in jeans, tennis shoes, and a long sleeved mustered colored tee shirt. His dark black hair reaches the back of his neck. Justin is a friendly 25-year-old college student. He is about to be interviewed by several college students about life in North Korea and his journey to America.

Justin escaped the Communist country, North Korea to come to America with his, mother, Father and older Brother. The journey to the U.S. started in 2005, with the escape through the North Korean forest. They were unable to build a fire for warmth or cooking, and they walked for three days to China. “One of the three days in the forest we were lost,” Justin says, “This was a very big risk for families because if the North Korean police had caught us escaping, we would have been shot and killed.” Justin and his family lived in China from 2005 to 2008. He was able to meet the family who is sponsoring him in 2007, when they came to China. In September of 2008 Justin and his family traveled to Laos for about nine months and finally made it to the U.S. in 2009. “ You cannot escape to South Korea because there are minefields. It is impossible to escape to South Korea,” says Justin.

Justin notes several differences between his home country and the U.S. The culture of living in the United States is much different and better than the one in North Korea. Justin says, “In North Korea, there is no freedom, you're told what to wear, what to read, we cannot pray. There is no electronics, cell phones, radios, or other entertainment. We could only have physical play, and we as kids did bad thing...

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...to talk about them.” He did, however, share that both parents passed away two years ago in the U.S . Justin did not want to share any other information about his parents' death.

Justin was asked, “If you could tell Americans one thing about your country and culture, what would it be?” Justin says, “If the American people could please write the American government officials and ask that they do not send any more money to North Korea. North Korea government does not like America, they do not appreciate what the American government does, and the North Korean Government think’s Americans have too much freedom.” Justin said, “I do not trust China or Russia, they are a lot like North Korea.”

Justin says, “Someday I would wish to get back and change things in North Korea. I want to change the politics in the Government, and the way North Korean people live.”