Jung Yu-na speaks at Freedom Speakers International (FSI) “What Freedom Means to Me” conference in May 2021. Courtesy of FSI

There is no shortage of people who want Jung Yu-na’s time. She is a singer, dancer, violinist, actress, model, businesswoman, movie consultant and TV personality. She has graced television screens, provided expert consultation for major productions like 2019's “Crash Landing on You,” and captivated audiences with her performances. She is a multilingual entertainer who could easily spend all her time in the entertainment industry, focused on her rising career.

Yet, despite all of this, Jung Yu-na — a North Korean refugee — still chooses to stand on stage, not just as a performer, but as a speaker, an advocate and a leader for North Korean refugees.

She doesn’t have to do this by taking time out of her demanding schedule to engage with audiences about her journey, to stand on stage for a small nongovernmental organization (NGO) like Freedom Speakers International (FSI), or to lend her voice to an organization that doesn’t have the resources of the global media industry. She has no obligation to us.

But she chooses to.

Jung originally hails from North Korea and defected to South Korea in 2006. She said in one speech, “I thought I was the first one to escape North Korea, but after I encountered so many North Korean refugees, I realized I was late in escaping.” She joined FSI in 2018 — not because she needed help learning English (she was already fluent) — but because she wanted to sharpen her skills. From the start, she recognized FSI’s mission and impact. I’ll never forget her first visit to our........

© The Korea Times