North Korean trafficking victims speak

Ms. L (age 35) was on her way home from work in North Korea in July 2001, when a man approached her. He whispered to her, "Are you satisfied with your life here? If you go to China, you can make much more money." This caught Ms. L's attention.

Ms. L's life in North Korea was not very easy. Ever since her parents passed away of starvation and side-effects from a vaccine in 1997, she struggled to make ends meet with her little sister. Her company overworked her and withheld her pay. Her sister was not very healthy and prone to long bouts of illness. It was common for Ms. L to forgo meals.