Growing up in a privileged household in North Korea, Hye-sung's youth was marked by comfort and opportunity. With her mother's support, she secured a coveted job at a large company after high school and lived an unenviable life. However, in December of one winter, tragedy struck when her mother died in a car accident, turning her world upside down.

"My mother's sudden death was too much for my 19-year-old self to bear. Life in North Korea, especially without her support, became a constant struggle. Amid this harsh reality, I recalled my mother's last words, encouraging me to explore the world beyond our borders, to make new choices once I left the ‘well’ of our confined life. That was when the opportunity to defect presented itself. Without hesitation, I crossed the Tumen River."

In 2011, Hye-sung arrived in South Korea. She pursued higher education and secured a job as a social worker at a welfare center before graduating from university. It was her first experience working in South Korea, and it wasn far from easy.

"Despite having five years of work experience in North Korea and feeling confident in my abilities, I encountered invisible barriers in my professional career as a North Korean Defector. The lack of expertise in a field unrelated to my major, the process of developing my professionalism by transferring to the social work department, and adapting to the cultural differences with my colleagues were all new experiences that pushed me to grow."

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As a social worker, Hye-sung felt a deep sense of mission and responsibility to help fellow North Korean Defectors integrate into South Korean society. She believed firmly that North Korean Defectors could be "service providers, not just recipients of social services," and she worked tirelessly to embody this belief in her actions.

"I founded a volunteer organization with North Korean Defectors who had settled in the community. We worked to challenge the prejudices and change the social perceptions surrounding North Korean Defectors through community service and campaigns. In the process, I realized the importance of establishing a foundation for economic independence for North Korean Defectors, which led me to start a social enterprise."

After deciding to start a social enterprise, Hye-sung participated in the Social Entrepreneur Development Program, where she learned the essentials of starting a business. In 2018, she founded Jinsol, a social enterprise, aimed to create jobs for North Korean defectors and local youth. Jinsol began as a cafe and doughnut production company and has since evolved into 'Dutch Story Cafe,' a thriving business that continues to create employment opportunities for North Korean defectors and youth in the community.

Please make an impact donation so that Dutch Story Cafe can continue to create jobs for North Korean refugees and local youth and build a foundation for the economic independence of North Korean Defectors.