Beyond the DMZ: Meet North Korean Defector & Signed Book

It was a deeply meaningful dinner. Our guide, Eunhee was cheerful, kind, and spoke very openly about North Korea and the circumstances surrounding defectors. Since there is so little information about the everyday lives of ordinary people in North Korea, this was a truly valuable experience. Through her stories, I was able to vividly imagine those scenes. As a Japanese person, I think I have a responsibility to learn about inter-Korean issues and her experiences, which is why I joined this tour. I sincerely hope that many people will have the chance to hear her story. She is around the same age as me, but she has been through so much and is carving out her own life—I was genuinely inspired. Not only did I learn about North Korea, but I also gained insight into how to take charge of one’s own life. And of course, the North Korean food, like naengmyeon, was absolutely delicious! とても意義深いディナーでした。彼女はとても明るく、優しく、そして率直に北朝鮮や脱北者を取り巻く環境について話してくれました。 北朝鮮の市井の人々の暮らしについての情報はとても少ないため、貴重な体験でした。彼女を通して鮮やかに情景を想像することができます。 私は日本人なので、南北問題や彼女の経験について学ぶ責任があると思い、このツアーに参加しました。ぜひたくさんの人に彼女の話を聞いてもらえたらと思います。 彼女は私とほぼ年が近いのに、とてもとてもとても多くの経験をしていますし、自分で人生を切り拓いていると感じます。北朝鮮について学ぶことができたのはもちろんですが、どのように人生を掴んでいくかという側面でも学びに溢れていました。 そしてもちろん、冷麺などの北朝鮮フードはとても美味しかったです！

My girls and I had the best time visiting Seoul but this experience was our highlight and what I looked forward to the most. We probably could have spent hours chatting. We learned so much and have a new appreciation for those who bravely attempt to defect. I highly recommend!!

We really enjoyed our dinner with Eunhee! We went after returning from our day at the DMZ, and our conversation very much added to everything we'd learned earlier in the day. Eunhee was able to talk first-hand about her harrowing journey and comment on the many cultural differences, as well as the good and bad of being a defector living in South Korea. It was truly a unique experience, made all the better by how pleasant and kind Eunhee is. Would definitely recommend!

Wow! What an experience! Eunhee, was extremely friendly and lovely to chat to. It was very interesting to listen to her awe inspiring story and to learn about her life since leaving North Korea, plus the North Korean dishes were great! If you are thinking of booking this experience, stop thinking and go ahead and book it!

Meeting Eunhee was unexpectedly one of the best parts of our trip to Seoul. It was incredible just to sit with her and ask her questions about her life and experiences, and she was so patient and answered all of them! I would absolutely book this tour again just to be able to ask her more questions. Eunhee needs to make a movie about her life!

We met Eunhee all the way in Incheon at a restaurant serving authentic North Korean food. It took us over an hour and a half to reach the place from the centre of Seoul, but it was really worth it. We enjoyed an amazing meal during which Eunhee shared her story with us, and answered all of our questions about living in North Korea. She also provided some authentic and unique North Korean snacks for our friends who couldn’t make the meeting. Meeting Eunhee was definitely one of the main highlights of our trip to South Korea.

A very interesting experience. Eunhee, my host, was very open about growing up in North Korea and during a very nice conversation over a North Korean meal answered my many questions regarding the DPRK.

Thank you so much. It was great to meet people from North Korea and hear their experiences, and being able to ask them any questions in person. Also thank you for sharing North Korean's food with us. Enjoyed it very much, highly recommend.

Yesterday was really an unforgettable experience. Thanks to Eunhee, Songmi and team for making it fun yet touching by listening to the stories as defectors. The tofu rice with the sauce is very yummy too! All the best for you 💘

Eunhee was such an amazing host. She provided many of her stories of North Korea and how she worked to be at where she is today. She is truly an inspiring individual and her stories were so meaningful, I will remember this part of my travel in South Korea for a while.