“Settling in Seoul” is an NK News series in which North Korean defectors share their experiences adapting to life in South Korea.

This week, Sersong Han — who was born and raised in North Korea and lived there until he defected in 2014 — writes about discovering hobbies and the concept of individual interests after resettling in South Korea.

Got a question for Sersong? Email it to [email protected] with your name and city. We’ll be publishing the best ones.

As I adjusted to my new life in South Korea, I was forced to confront many uncomfortable questions that I struggled