Like every country, North Korea has some very smart people. They

"Like every country, North Korea has some very smart people. They could be contributing a lot more to science and other areas, but North Koreans are forced to spend so much time memorizing the fake history of our dictators and other propaganda, so are at a huge disadvantage." These words from Lee Hyeon-seo speak to a profound and tragic truth about the power of knowledge, and how its manipulation can stifle human potential. The mind—the source of all human innovation, creativity, and progress—is an instrument of immense potential. Yet, when it is harnessed and shackled by falsehoods, propaganda, and the constant reiteration of deception, that potential is wasted. Lee Hyeon-seo highlights the tragic irony of a nation with great intellectual promise, where the true power of the mind is silenced and redirected toward the service of oppressive regimes, leaving its people at a tremendous disadvantage in the pursuit of knowledge and progress.

In the ancient world, the greatest minds were those who sought to uncover the truth, free from the constraints of tyranny, superstition, or blind adherence to power. Socrates, for instance, believed in the power of reason and critical thinking to uncover the truth of the human experience. He famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” for he understood that true knowledge could only be achieved through questioning, not by simply accepting what is told to us by those in positions of authority. The great thinkers of the past sought to illuminate the darkness of ignorance and break free from the chains of falsehood. Their legacy teaches us that freedom of thought, the ability to question, and the pursuit of truth are the pillars of progress. When those pillars are undermined, humanity suffers the consequences.

This is the fate of the people of North Korea, as Lee Hyeon-seo poignantly points out. Like the wise men of old who could only think freely under the shadow of oppressive regimes, the minds of North Koreans are enslaved by a false narrative—a narrative designed to keep them bound to a dictator’s vision and to undermine the pursuit of real knowledge. Just as in the ancient world, where rulers would control knowledge and the stories of their empires, the leaders of North Korea use propaganda to dictate not only what people believe but how they think. This control of knowledge does not allow the people of North Korea to think critically, to create, or to pursue knowledge freely, leading to a disadvantage in the world.

Take, for example, the story of Galileo Galilei, the great Italian astronomer and scientist, who faced the oppressive might of the Catholic Church in his time. Galileo was silenced, condemned, and forced to recant his groundbreaking discoveries because they threatened the established dogma of his time. He showed that the Earth was not the center of the universe, but the Church, in its desire to control knowledge, suppressed the truth to maintain its power. Yet despite the efforts to silence him, Galileo's discoveries eventually prevailed, marking a turning point in the history of science. His story illustrates that even under the most stifling regimes, the pursuit of truth cannot be forever silenced. The mind, once awakened, seeks to break free from falsehood and ignorance.

In North Korea, the suppression of truth is not just about scientific progress, but about the very freedom of the human spirit. By forcing the people to memorize the false history of their leaders and to accept propaganda as fact, the regime limits their capacity for independent thought and intellectual growth. The great minds of North Korea, like Galileo before them, are forced to work within a framework of distortion and deceit. The very potential of these minds is wasted, not because they lack intelligence or ambition, but because the freedom to think and create is denied them.

Yet, in the face of this darkness, there is hope. As the story of Galileo teaches us, the truth cannot be buried forever. Even in the most oppressive regimes, the human spirit and mind yearn for knowledge and freedom. Lee Hyeon-seo herself is a shining example of this. Her courage to escape, to speak out, and to share the truth about her homeland shows that even the most oppressed individuals can still break free from the chains of ignorance and oppression. Her words are a reminder that the pursuit of truth, the quest for knowledge, and the power of the human mind can never be fully suppressed. Change is always possible when individuals are brave enough to seek the truth and to fight against the forces that seek to keep them in darkness.

The lesson here is clear: the mind is the most powerful tool humanity has, and its potential is limitless. However, it can be stifled by the forces of oppression and falsehood. If we are to ensure the continued progress of humanity, we must recognize the importance of freedom in thought, in learning, and in the pursuit of truth. We must protect the rights of individuals to think critically, to question, and to seek knowledge without fear of retribution. The world of science, art, and progress can only flourish in an environment where freedom of thought is upheld, where the mind is not enslaved by dictatorship or propaganda, but is allowed to soar in its quest for truth and understanding. Let us, like the great thinkers before us, strive to ensure that the minds of future generations are not shackled but free to contribute to the advancement of human knowledge.