You never know what you have until it’s gone. Freedom, something most of us take for granted, is scarce, or even non-existent in some parts of the world. Laura Ling never realized how luxurious freedom was until she lost her own.
I had the opportunity to attend a Unique Lives speaker series, featuring Laura Ling at the Vancouver Orpheum, where we heard the story of an incredibly brave woman who endured the hardships in the Hermit Kingdom. Hearing this story affected the way I viewed my country.
Ling, an American journalist, was held captive in the world’s most isolated country, North Korea. Since her release by former American President Bill Clinton in August 2009, she has been labeled as “the woman that Bill Clinton rescued” or even “North Korean girl”. However, it is through these identifiers that have allowed her to share her story with the world.
Always captivated by humanitarian crises, she reported on issues in different countries because she believed that leaving issues ignored is detrimental to society. Her biggest passion was the struggle for freedom, which led her to an investigation in China near the Chinese-North Korean border. She was reporting on a story that focused on the trafficking of North Korean women and interviewed refugees who had successfully escaped their lives in North Korea. Ling said that her and her colleague Euna Lee were more concerned for the safety of the people they were interviewing, than their own. One day this changed as they found themselves fleeing for their lives across a frozen river as North Korean soldiers were chasing after them. Just as they made it to the edge of the river, the soldiers grabbed them and in a desperate fight for freedom, they were knocked out and taken to a jail cell in North Korea.
Ling and Lee became the first Americans to be tried in North Korea’s highest courts. They went through a mentally and physically exhausting interrogation before being tried and convicted to serve 12 years in a North Korean labour camp. Their world seemed to fall apart as the harsh reality of their brutal sentence seeped through their minds. They realized that they may not see the people they loved ever again. Throughout the next few months, they lived their lives in isolation. After many negotiation attempts throughout these months, they discovered that there was a possible way out. Bill Clinton had to be summoned to North Korea to personally visit North Korean leader Kim Jung Il to negotiate the release of the two journalists.
Through Ling’s connections, Bill Clinton was successfully contacted and he graciously made a trip to North Korea where he successfully negotiated the release of the two journalists from the isolated country. This experience not only helped shape Ling’s view on life, but made her appreciate her life and freedom in America much more. Each night, she goes to bed counting her blessings.
It was amazing to see and hear the story of such an independent and powerful woman who has undoubtedly undergone much pain and life-changing experiences. It is important, as business leaders to truly appreciate what we have while striving to make a positive difference in our communities. I left the Orpheum that night with a much larger appreciation for the country I live in and the freedom I have.
Grace is concentrating in Marketing, Human Resources, and Entrepreneurship. Since her first year, she has loved being active within the Beedie community. She has been heavily involved in AIESEC SFU, where she planned a conference for 200 students in her role as Organizing Committee President. She also loves to meet new students and share her experiences through her past roles as BASS Mentorship Program Mentor and FROSH Leader. Currently, she is Co-Captain of this year’s SFU JDC West Team. Grace has made it a goal to encompass all the BE More Statements, and will be fulfilling the last BE (BE Global) on her exchange term in Vienna next Spring. She looks forward to making the most of her Beedie experience before her undergraduate career comes to an end.