Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do many societies identify as basic human rights? What reputation might North Korea have regarding its implementation of human rights?

Teaching Suggestion: Yeonmi Park is unaware of the rights she has been denied by the North Korean regime because of her sheltered upbringing. Park only later discovers The Meaning of Freedom when she escapes and eventually becomes a refugee in South Korea. Consider posing the questions to students before using the articles to reinforce the response.

• This article from the United Nations defines human rights and outlines internationally accepted rights.
• This article from the BBC explains why North Korea fails to uphold human rights. 

2. How do political, social, or economic factors contribute to refugee crises? What reasons might refugees have to flee North Korea? What dangers are posed to refugees after fleeing?

Teaching Suggestion: Park’s desire to leave North Korea is partially inspired by the economic hardship caused by famine in North Korea in the mid-1990s. Park believes she will live a better life after she escapes North Korea but is immediately trafficked by individuals in China who take advantage of the refugee crisis.