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Lee is now a North Korean who has been working for the Canadian government. He arrived in Canada mid-July after being introduced by a friend to the HanVoice Pioneers Project.

The project selects one young North Korean defector per year to come to Canada. The defector has an opportunity to share information with Canadians about human rights violations in North Korea. HanVoice is the largest Canadian organization advocating for human rights in the North.

“They believe that the pioneer will be a leader in the North Korean community. They think we are potential leaders,” he chuckled, “But I don’t like that word, because everyone has potential.”

But through the program, Lee received the opportunity to intern at MP Barry Devolin’s office.

They believe that the pioneer will be a leader in the North Korean community. They think we are potential leaders

“I’m sharing my story with politicians,” he said.

In October, Lee was a witness at the House of Commons’ Subcommittee on International Human Rights, discussing North Korea with Canadian policymakers.

Canadians don’t often hear a North Korean’s impression of Canadian democracy. Lee finds some aspects of Canadian democracy noteworthy.

“In South Korea, they try to be gentle in front of the camera. But here, they just do what they want. They just do what they believe so it’s a more outspoken country, outspoken government,” he said. “It’s really childish, it’s really rude, it’s really loud, it’s annoying sometimes, but at some point, that’s democracy.”

As much as he appreciates his experience in Canada, Lee wants to again live in Korea in the future. “I love my country but I don’t want to say that only South Korea is my country. North and South Korea is my country,” he said.

He also wants be a specialist in the Korean peninsula. “I’m preparing for the reunification of the Koreas,” he said. Reunification is Lee’s only way to go home, he said. If he were to try returning to North Korea today, “I will be executed by the government.”

There’s a middle class that is emerging, according to Lee. “Those born after 1990 didn’t get enough brainwashing education,” he said. “Twenty years from now, they will be the core power of North Korea … They don’t have any respect for the government.

“That’s why we have to prepare for reunification.”