Jihyun Park is a British citizen of North Korean origin. After escaping North Korea twice, she settled in the United Kingdom in 2008.  Ms. Park engages in a broad range of activities. She is an author, public speaker, and TEDx talk presenter. Her book, The Hard Road Out, details her experiences.  Ms. Park actively engages in public discourse. She delivered testimony at the UK House of Commons’ first hearing on “Autocracies and UK Foreign Policy.” (Korean: 영국 하원 청문회 “독재국가들과 영국의 외교정책 검토”)

In 2018, Ms. Park received the NatWest Chairman’s Award at the Asian Woman Achievement Awards. She was also recognized on The Alternative Rich List 2018. In 2020, she was honored with the Amnesty Brave Award, and in 2021, she was named a Time Hero.  Ms. Park is the first North Korean escapee to stand for local council as a candidate for the Conservative Party. Additionally, she has the distinction of being the first such escapee to speak at the UK Conservative Party Conference. Notably, she has met with King Charles III on two occasions in 2023.  Ms. Park has an extensive media presence. She has made appearances on numerous broadcast outlets, including BBC, Sky News, GB News, ITV, DW, CNN, and stations in Norway, Spain, and France. Her written contributions include interviews with various newspapers, such as a feature on “Lunch with the FT.”