December 07, 2023
Features

From frontline to online: An ex-North Korean soldier’s path to YouTube stardom

Jung Haneul made rare escape across DMZ after seeing ‘injustices’ in the DPRK, and now shares his story with the world

When he still lived in North Korea, Jung Haneul could see the other Korea with his own eyes every day. Stationed as a frontline soldier, the nearest South Korean post was just a few thousand feet away.

Jung grew up in rural North Korea, where his mother sold shoes to pay for her son’s dream to become a professional soccer player.