Episode
#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
2:06:18
Published: Thu Jul 01 2021
Description
Yeonmi Park is a North Korean defector, human rights activist, and author of the book In Order to Live. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Belcampo: https://belcampo.com/lex and use code LEX to get 20% off first order - Gala Games: https://gala.games/lex - BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/lex to get 10% off - Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/lex and use code LEX to get special savings EPISODE LINKS: Yeonmi's Twitter: https://twitter.com/YeonmiParkNK Yeonmi's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialyeonmipark Yeonmi's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/YeonmiParkOfficial In Order to Live (book): https://amzn.to/3wdtKfL PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (09:20) - Growing up in North Korea (14:45) - Animal Farm (21:00) - Search for meaning (25:48) - Love (28:05) - Language (32:28) - Yeonmi's dad (34:30) - Escaping North Korea (39:47) - The world is ignoring the genocide in North Korea (51:49) - Evil (54:40) - Nuclear war (55:30) - Marxist origins of North Korea (1:00:43) - Famine (1:05:30) - Kim Jong-un is pure evil (1:12:06) - Freedom (1:15:18) - Michael Malice (1:18:57) - Diversity (1:26:18) - Political correctness (1:35:50) - Jordan Peterson (1:40:01) - Michael Malice book on North Korea (1:45:31) - Advice for young people (1:48:33) - Facing assassination (1:58:47) - Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (2:01:20) - Meaning of life
Chapters
Joe Rogan discusses the North Korean famine with Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector who shares her experience of surviving the horrific event.
00:00 - 03:39 (03:39)
Summary
Joe Rogan discusses the North Korean famine with Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector who shares her experience of surviving the horrific event. The famine was caused primarily by the actions of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and resulted in the suffering of millions of people for several years.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker emphasizes the importance of exercise, meditation, and therapy in order to process and cope with inner demons.
03:39 - 09:31 (05:51)
Summary
The speaker emphasizes the importance of exercise, meditation, and therapy in order to process and cope with inner demons. In addition, they discuss a gaming ecosystem on a blockchain and the joys of a cold bed in the Texas summer heat.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
A former North Korean citizen shares that the propaganda they were taught in school left them oblivious to the outside world, including the concept of the internet, romantic love, human rights, and liberty.
09:31 - 14:41 (05:10)
Summary
A former North Korean citizen shares that the propaganda they were taught in school left them oblivious to the outside world, including the concept of the internet, romantic love, human rights, and liberty.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Despite the gradual decline and taking away of freedom, there were still moments of beauty in George Orwell's book, Animal Farm.
14:41 - 20:12 (05:31)
Summary
Despite the gradual decline and taking away of freedom, there were still moments of beauty in George Orwell's book, Animal Farm. The new animals that didn't know what life could be like brought hope within the suffering and oppression.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker reflects on how different individuals cope with trauma- some choose to forget while others remember everything, likening the experience to what individuals went through during the Holocaust.
20:12 - 23:48 (03:35)
Summary
The speaker reflects on how different individuals cope with trauma- some choose to forget while others remember everything, likening the experience to what individuals went through during the Holocaust.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker expresses their fascination with love in all its forms, including romantic love and love for science.
23:48 - 27:37 (03:48)
Summary
The speaker expresses their fascination with love in all its forms, including romantic love and love for science.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The concept of an innate sense of what is right or wrong is often attributed to a Buddhist idea, but many argue that it is learned through external influences and teachings.
27:37 - 33:52 (06:14)
Summary
The concept of an innate sense of what is right or wrong is often attributed to a Buddhist idea, but many argue that it is learned through external influences and teachings.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
A former North Korean defector recounts how one day in North Korea felt like surviving through a war, and how life outside of North Korea has gone by quickly in comparison.
33:52 - 36:42 (02:49)
Summary
A former North Korean defector recounts how one day in North Korea felt like surviving through a war, and how life outside of North Korea has gone by quickly in comparison.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The episode discusses using engineering methods to address social issues, ranging from space exploration to healthcare and disease prevention, with a particular focus on sexual slavery.
36:42 - 43:40 (06:58)
Summary
The episode discusses using engineering methods to address social issues, ranging from space exploration to healthcare and disease prevention, with a particular focus on sexual slavery.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker believes that positive relations should be promoted with China instead of treating them as an enemy, and that love and not violence should be the solution.
43:40 - 50:04 (06:24)
Summary
The speaker believes that positive relations should be promoted with China instead of treating them as an enemy, and that love and not violence should be the solution. He suggests helping the Chinese people become the best version of themselves to improve relations between the two countries.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
This podcast episode discusses the idea of whether individuals have the capacity for evil or if it is caused by certain environmental and societal structures.
50:04 - 52:50 (02:45)
Summary
This podcast episode discusses the idea of whether individuals have the capacity for evil or if it is caused by certain environmental and societal structures. It mentions the hope for the 21st century to directly speak to people about true evil and brings up the example of sex trafficking.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In this episode, the speaker talks about different ideologies like democratic socialism, socialism, communism, Marxism, Leninism, etc., and how the fourth-largest army in the world is designed to fight its own people.
52:50 - 58:08 (05:17)
Summary
In this episode, the speaker talks about different ideologies like democratic socialism, socialism, communism, Marxism, Leninism, etc., and how the fourth-largest army in the world is designed to fight its own people. He also makes a point that people's behavior is heavily influenced by the system they are exposed to.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker describes feeling like they are on drugs all the time due to finding joy in mundane objects.
58:08 - 1:03:15 (05:06)
Summary
The speaker describes feeling like they are on drugs all the time due to finding joy in mundane objects. They discuss the importance of gratitude and not taking things for granted.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The use of cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin and Ethereum provides a means for people to have control over their money without government intervention.
1:03:16 - 1:08:30 (05:13)
Summary
The use of cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin and Ethereum provides a means for people to have control over their money without government intervention. As we move towards a more decentralized society, cryptocurrencies can empower individuals with financial freedom.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The excerpt does not provide a clear topic or idea.
1:08:30 - 1:11:58 (03:28)
Summary
The excerpt does not provide a clear topic or idea.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The podcast discusses the relationship between freedom and happiness, whether freedom leads to happiness or if there is a limit to the amount of freedom that humans can handle.
1:11:59 - 1:16:41 (04:42)
Summary
The podcast discusses the relationship between freedom and happiness, whether freedom leads to happiness or if there is a limit to the amount of freedom that humans can handle.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The obsession with meritocracy can drown out real diversity and lead to a lack of representation for individuals from different backgrounds.
1:16:41 - 1:23:39 (06:58)
Summary
The obsession with meritocracy can drown out real diversity and lead to a lack of representation for individuals from different backgrounds. Instead, power should be given to the state and individuals should be allowed to choose their desired path within it.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
This podcast episode discusses the extent of self-censorship in university settings, specifically in psychology and diversity and inclusion meetings.
1:23:40 - 1:30:23 (06:42)
Summary
This podcast episode discusses the extent of self-censorship in university settings, specifically in psychology and diversity and inclusion meetings. There is a concern that discussions on difficult topics are often hindered due to fear of reprimand, resulting in a lack of progress in addressing these issues.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker expresses concerns over banning individuals from social media platforms and wonders what direction it takes us.
1:30:24 - 1:36:16 (05:52)
Summary
The speaker expresses concerns over banning individuals from social media platforms and wonders what direction it takes us. They argue that it's unclear who decides what constitutes hate speech and dangerous content.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
A discussion about how gender is a social construct and how the hierarchy of genders is created by men.
1:36:16 - 1:38:53 (02:36)
Summary
A discussion about how gender is a social construct and how the hierarchy of genders is created by men. The speakers also mention a comedy show that is popular among thousands of people who are willing to pay a high price for the tickets.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker expresses their admiration and awe for being alive in the same time period as philosopher Albert Camus, while discussing how people can become desensitized to atrocity from hearing about it so much.
1:38:54 - 1:42:15 (03:21)
Summary
The speaker expresses their admiration and awe for being alive in the same time period as philosopher Albert Camus, while discussing how people can become desensitized to atrocity from hearing about it so much.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker emphasizes the significant role of capitalism in providing opportunities for innovation and development, pointing out that even the high IQ individuals in North Korea are held back by the lack of a capitalist system.
1:42:15 - 1:46:17 (04:02)
Summary
The speaker emphasizes the significant role of capitalism in providing opportunities for innovation and development, pointing out that even the high IQ individuals in North Korea are held back by the lack of a capitalist system.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker reflects on the hardships of life and the privilege of living in modern times, while also referencing a recent news event involving the death of Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia.
1:46:17 - 1:50:49 (04:32)
Summary
The speaker reflects on the hardships of life and the privilege of living in modern times, while also referencing a recent news event involving the death of Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker emphasizes the importance of verifying information and researching through the internet as something written on the internet is often perceived as a fact.
1:50:49 - 1:54:09 (03:19)
Summary
The speaker emphasizes the importance of verifying information and researching through the internet as something written on the internet is often perceived as a fact. The speaker mentions a book that is going to be published after thoroughly checking every fact in it.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The United States should provide protection for North Korean defectors who risked their lives to provide valuable information about the regime, just as they did for other agents such as Edward Snowden.
1:54:09 - 1:56:03 (01:53)
Summary
The United States should provide protection for North Korean defectors who risked their lives to provide valuable information about the regime, just as they did for other agents such as Edward Snowden.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The South Korean agent prioritizes the safety of their citizens and takes caution to prevent harm caused by gangs or groups.
1:56:03 - 1:58:07 (02:04)
Summary
The South Korean agent prioritizes the safety of their citizens and takes caution to prevent harm caused by gangs or groups. Additionally, he hopes to pass down cultural heritage to his children.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker discusses the impact of books on our lives, including how they can shape our perspectives on suffering and beauty.
1:58:08 - 2:03:07 (04:58)
Summary
The speaker discusses the impact of books on our lives, including how they can shape our perspectives on suffering and beauty. They express a love for reading and the belief that books can inspire us to change the world.
Episode#196 – Yeonmi Park: North Korea
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker gained a lot of knowledge about security teams like North Korea and believes that not knowing about these things does not make someone guilty.
2:03:10 - 2:06:06 (02:56)
Summary
The speaker gained a lot of knowledge about security teams like North Korea and believes that not knowing about these things does not make someone guilty. Shed light on the dark areas in the cybersecurity world with a modest approach.