The star North Korean defector: Formulaic narratives undermining human rights

North Korean defectors who make it onto the global stage don’t just tell their stories—they tell the right kind of stories.

There are a small number of North Korean defectors who make it onto the global stage. Some of them, don’t just tell their stories—they tell the right kind of stories. The more sensational, the more extreme, the more it confirms what Western audiences already believe, the better. These are the star defectors.

Defectors who say they left for economic reasons? Ignored. Those who admit their lives in North Korea weren’t entirely defined by misery? Discarded. Those who describe the country as a complex place, rather than an unrelenting horror show? Irrelevant. That North Korean individual you see in your class, struggling to understand and adapt to highly competitive South Korean norms? Forgotten.

The star defectors receive book deals, speaking tours, and endless media exposure because they follow a script that has been perfected for maximum emotional impact and political utility.

There’s an unspoken rul…