Yeonmi Park is a North Korean defector, human rights activist, and bestselling author who has become a powerful global voice for freedom. Born in Hyesan, North Korea, Park endured unimaginable hardships under a brutal regime—witnessing death, extreme hunger, and the imprisonment of her father. At 13, she escaped to China, only to fall into the hands of traffickers before ultimately making a harrowing journey across the Gobi Desert to freedom in South Korea. Her memoir, In Order to Live, recounts this extraordinary escape and her fight for human dignity. A TED speaker and global advocate, Park has addressed the Oslo Freedom Forum and One Young World, where her emotional speeches have reached over 320 million viewers. She continues to speak out against totalitarianism and censorship in all forms, warning of rising authoritarianism worldwide. The BBC recognized her as one of its “Top 100 Global Women.”