Donald Trump used the harrowing story of a North Korean defector to highlight the brutality of Kim Jong-un’s regime during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
D onald Trump used the harrowing story of a North Korean defector to highlight the brutality of Kim Jong-un’s regime during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
Ji Seong-ho, who was among the guests of honour for the president’s speech to Congress, was hailed as « an inspiration to us all » and received a standing ovation from the lawmakers.
The president described how Mr Ji was a « starving boy in North Korea » 22 years ago when he tried to steal coal from a train to barter for food.
« In the process, he passed out on the train tracks, exhausted from hunger. He woke up as a train ran over his limbs, » Mr Trump said.
Mr Ji lost his left leg above the knee and his left hand at the wrist, enduring « amputations without anything to dull the pain ».
T he president said Mr Ji was later tortured after returning from a brief trip to China. « His tormentors wanted to know if he had met any Christians. He had – and he resolved to be free, » the president said.
In 2006, Mr Ji escaped North Korea via the Tumen River.
« I knew from that point, the next time I go to North Korea will be when reunification finally happens, » he said in a 2012 interview, recalling the moment he pulled himself out of the water and onto the banks of the Chinese side.
M r Trump described how « Seong-ho travelled thousands of miles on crutches across China and Southeast Asia to freedom. Most of his family followed. His father was caught trying to escape, and was tortured to death ».
