After escaping North Korea, a defector fights for a new life inside the ring



Features After escaping North Korea, a defector fights for a new life inside the ring Jang Jung-hyuk fled hunger and abuse before settling in the South, now fighting on his own terms in pursuit of MMA glory Jooheon Kim June 6, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Mixed martial artist Jang Jung-hyuk \| Image: Courtesy of Jang Jung-hyuk Jang Jung-hyuk was 18-years-old and studying at a school in Seoul when, realizing that academics didn’t suit him, he decided to give mixed martial arts (MMA) a try. Just six weeks later, he entered a kickboxing tournament at a local university, stepping into the ring for his first real fight against a far more experienced competitor. He walked out a winner. “I completely beat up my opponent,” he recalled. Jang Jung-hyuk was 18-years-old and studying at a school in Seoul when, realizing that academics didn’t suit him, he decided to give mixed martial arts (MMA) a try. Just six weeks later, he entered a kickboxing tournament at a local university, stepping into the ring for his first real fight against a far more experienced competitor. He walked out a winner. “I completely beat up my opponent,” he recalled. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Features

After escaping North Korea, a defector fights for a new life inside the ring

Jang Jung-hyuk fled hunger and abuse before settling in the South, now fighting on his own terms in pursuit of MMA glory

Jooheon Kim June 6, 2025

After escaping North Korea, a defector fights for a new life inside the ring

Mixed martial artist Jang Jung-hyuk | Image: Courtesy of Jang Jung-hyuk

Jang Jung-hyuk was 18-years-old and studying at a school in Seoul when, realizing that academics didn’t suit him, he decided to give mixed martial arts (MMA) a try.

Just six weeks later, he entered a kickboxing tournament at a local university, stepping into the ring for his first real fight against a far more experienced competitor. He walked out a winner. “I completely beat up my opponent,” he recalled.

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After escaping North Korea, a defector fights for a new life inside the ring

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