Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised
AUSTIN, TEXAS: Joe Rogan once hosted North Korean defector Yeonmi Park on his 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast, discussing her and her family's terrible life in the country. Naturally, the host had some of his own opinions to share about her experience.
Park spoke extensively with the podcaster about the things she experienced, the horrors she observed, and her brave escape. The three-hour interview is not for the faint of heart as the defector described in detail what life is like inside the world's most secretive country.
'One misstep might have proven to be catastrophic'
One of the topics Park highlighted during the 'JRE' episode was the extent of famines that plague some sections of North Korea. She stated, "The hardest thing as a child for me was when my mum goes away to find food. We don't have phones, we don't have letters. If I say goodbye to her, I don't know when I'm going to see her again or if I'm ever going to see her again because she could have [been] killed and raped and starved." Park also claimed she was never trained to feel sorry for all the dead bodies she saw scattered around the place every day, saying, "Seeing bodies on the street is an everyday thing. They are floating in the rivers. Train stations have a lot of dead bodies."
The former North Korean resident recalled seeing an emaciated teenager with his intestines "hanging out his back" while gathering fresh drinking water. Dogs began to circle the youngster, according to her, thinking he would be their next meal. "I felt nothing and that still haunts me to this day. Like I don't know how I feel nothing...that was a daily life thing," said Park about her emotions regarding the encounter.
Moreover, she described being brought to the hospital for stomach discomfort, which turned out to be her appendix on the verge of rupturing. Doctors presumably performed the procedure without anesthetic, and Park stated that there was no genuine sense of sanitation of medical equipment for each patient. Rogan was horrified when she stated that she stepped outside and witnessed more piles of dead bodies, as well as rats eating their eyeballs. Even more terrifying, she apparently witnessed youngsters catching the rats with their hands and eating them. Park even remarked about how the rats would sometimes be cooked over a fire, and occasionally they would be eaten raw.
Later, Park narrated how she was forced to flee North Korea without informing her father as she was afraid that if he found out about her plan, the government would torture him to death in order to learn how to find her. She depicted her attempts to flee as terrifying because she knew there were land mines strategically placed across the area and that one misstep might have proven to be catastrophic.
'By far now my favorite episode'
Not only Rogan but also his fans were left horrified by the overwhelming story of Park. However, many of them thought that it was one of the most striking episodes, as one wrote, "By far now my favourite episode! She is the most impressive person you've had on and I'm overjoyed that you shared her emotional and brave story. Bravo!!" Another person commented, "This is one of the most important stories that needs to be told right now. So grateful for your bravery, Yeonmi!" "This was the most riveting podcast I've ever heard. I legit had my face in my hands sobbing. Yeonmi is powerful and brilliant. A true mighty leader and a voice of reason desperately needed in today's culture," added a third follower.
