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New start ... Joseph Kim left North Korea at the age of 16. Picture: YouTube Source: Supplied
NORTH Korean defector has told what he was surprised to learn most about the world and the thing he misses most about his former homeland.
The 25-year-old, who was liberated from North Korea at the age of 16 and resettled in the US, lost his father at the age of 12 and his mother and sister went to live in China.
Kim, who has written a book Under the Same Sky: From Starvation in North Korea to Salvation in America, told Reddit users what he was most surprised to learn about the world when he left North Korea.
“Coming to America, probably the biggest shocking moment was how everyone was living different lives,†he said. “I guess one thing would be, for example, going to public parks with family, refreshments and barbecues, laying on the ground — I think that was something I never really imagined. I never had that in North Korea. We never had those kind of things.â€
Kim, who has also given talks on his time in North Korea, said he misses his hometown and one thing in particular.
“One thing I do really miss is the pear tree from my backyard,†he said. “Even if I go back to North Korea, which is not going to happen, I won’t be able to say “Oh, this is my home†because most of my family is no longer there. So seeing the pear tree I planted would give me some memories.â€
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