Yeonmi Park Brings the Meaning of Freedom to MSU Denver
The North Korean defector and human rights activist shared her experiences with approximately 150 students through the Exploring Economic Freedom Project, offering a firsthand perspective on the institutions, opportunities, and freedoms that shape people’s lives.
There are some things a textbook can explain, but never fully convey. The structure of a political system, the principles of an economy, and the meaning of individual freedom can all be examined in a classroom. Understanding what it means to live without those freedoms, however, requires a different kind of perspective.
That perspective came to Metropolitan State University of Denver when Yeonmi Park visited campus to share her experiences living under North Korea’s totalitarian regime, escaping the country, and building a life in the United States.
Hosted as part of the Exploring Economic Freedom Project’s speaker series, the lecture brought students face-to-face with a perspective that extends beyond academic theory. Park’s life experience offered an opportunity to consider how the institutions governing a society influence not only its economic and political systems, but also the everyday lives and opportunities of the people within them.
The decision to invite Park reflected the Project’s belief that important conversations about economic systems and freedom should include perspectives that cannot always be found in academic research or classroom discussions.
“We often take our liberties for granted,” one Project organizer explained. “We social scientists often lack experiences like hers, and we cannot ignore them when we talk about our various economic systems.”
For students, the lecture provided an opportunity to connect concepts they encounter in their studies with the experiences of someone who has lived under two very different institutional environments.
At the heart of the Exploring Economic Freedom Project is a commitment to open inquiry. Its mission is to provide a safe public forum where people can exchange ideas in a civil manner and examine which institutions are most likely to promote freedom, peace, prosperity, and the well-being of all people, including those who are marginalized.
That mission extends well beyond a traditional lecture series. Alongside its campus speakers, the Project supports research, reading, and discussion colloquia that bring participants together to explore complex questions from different perspectives.
Most recently, the Project hosted a one-day reading and discussion colloquium titled “Do Markets Empower the Marginalized,” examining questions surrounding markets, economic opportunity, and the experiences of marginalized communities.
Whether through research, shared readings, or conversations with guest speakers, the intention remains consistent: to encourage people to think critically rather than simply reinforce what they already believe.
As one organizer described the philosophy behind the initiative:
“In the classroom, we learn about totalitarianism from theories, blackboard models, textbooks, and papers. Yeonmi Park lived it. The Exploring Economic Freedom Project is about not creating an echo chamber. It offers a safe public forum where students learn to discuss uncomfortable ideas in a civil manner.”
For the Project, creating that environment means allowing students to encounter perspectives that may challenge their assumptions without discouraging questions or disagreement. Education, in this sense, is not simply about reaching conclusions. It is also about learning how to approach difficult subjects, listen to different experiences, and engage with ideas respectfully.
Park’s visit put that philosophy into practice. Following her lecture, students participated in an open question-and-answer session, providing an opportunity to continue the discussion and engage directly with her.
Approximately 150 students attended the free, public event. To encourage continued engagement, organizers distributed 120 complimentary copies of Park’s book, giving students an opportunity to explore her experiences beyond the lecture itself. Some students were also encouraged through extra-credit opportunities to submit written reflections on the event.
The lecture was made possible through partnerships and financial support from organizations that share an interest in expanding educational opportunities. Young America’s Foundation served as the lead partner, while a grant from the Institute for Humane Studies covered the venue, student books, and lunch.
Together, these efforts helped make the event accessible to students and the broader community while extending its educational value beyond the time spent in the lecture hall.
For the Project’s organizers, hosting Park was an opportunity they felt fortunate and grateful to have. What stood out was the breadth of her personal journey: experiencing life in North Korea, escaping its totalitarian regime, and pursuing the opportunities of the American Dream.
Her experiences provided students with more than another perspective to consider in an academic discussion. They offered a reminder that conversations about economic systems, institutions, and individual freedom ultimately concern real people and the circumstances in which they live.
The hope is that students carry that perspective with them long after the lecture, remembering Park’s experiences when examining which institutions are more likely to promote freedom and prosperity.
That is ultimately what the Exploring Economic Freedom Project seeks to accomplish: bringing ideas and experiences into the university environment that encourage students to look beyond familiar explanations, question their assumptions, and engage thoughtfully with the world around them.
Because some of the most meaningful lessons in higher education begin when students encounter something they cannot learn from a textbook alone.
Watch the full lecture: Yeonmi Park at MSU Denver – Exploring Economic Freedom Project
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