Yeon-Mi Park, a human rights activist from North Korean, was recently selected as one of the BBC's "100 Women of 2014."

At only 21 years of age, Yeon-Mi Park has become one of the youngest women ever selected for the honor of the BBC's "100 Women of 2014." The North Korean defector and activist was added to the list for her work in promoting human rights for both men and women around the world.

In a recent interview, the BBC asked Park how she became involved in the human rights movement. Her answer encompassed her early childhood in North Korea, her family's flight to China, and even her horrific experiences in watching her mother s*xually assaulted and other girls sold into s*x slavery. After escaping from North Korea to China, Park learned a difficult truth: that human rights violations happened in both countries. Her experiences inspired her to speak out on behalf of young people across the globe and to stand up for human rights in every nation.

Park's nomination for the BBC honor came after her emotional speech at the One Young World Summit in Dublin in the summer of 2014. She says, "I believe in humanity, and that we all are going to help them out from that terror."

For more information on Yeon-Mi Park, visit http://youngvoicesadvocates.com/advocate/yeonmi-park-2/ , http://www.nknews.org/2015/02/yeonmi-park-hits-back-at-north-korean-video/ , http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/15/park-yeon-mi-north-korea-defector and http://newswire.net/newsroom/pr/00089107-yeon-mi-park-selected-as-bbc-top-100-women.html

About Yeon-Mi Park:

Born in Hyesan, North Korea, Yeon-Mi Park is currently majoring in criminal justice at Dongguk University in Seoul, South Korea, and has been featured as a guest on the Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, BBC2 and SBS Insight as well as being a regular guest on the South Korean television show Now On My Way To Meet You, a program that addresses the gap between North and South Koreans. Park is also a Media Fellow at Freedom Factory Co. Ltd. and co-host of the podcast Casey Lartigue and Yeon-Mi Park Show. She is a volunteer with Now, Action, Unity and Human Rights (NAUH) as well as the Ambassador of Teach North Korean Refugees.

For More Information:
Yeon-Mi Park
Dongguk University
Seoul, South Korea