Get Seongcheol to the UK with Connect: North Korea

Growing up in North Korea, my family was stigmatised as anti-government, which threatened my daily life and academic aspirations.

I was very lucky that my teachers recognised my mathematical talent at a young age, and this along with my own perseverance enabled me to attend a better school in North Korea which specialised in science.

Now, I want to show the resilience and talent of North Korean refugees around the world by studying for my masters degree in Data Science at the University of Bristol.

I am due to start my course in autumn 2025, so I urgently need your help! Ensure I make it to the UK by donating to this GoFundMe page, in partnership with Connect: North Korea.

As a teenager, my academic journey was disrupted when political prejudice barred me from taking university entrance exams. I borrowed textbooks from other students to continue learning, and my father transcribed English and maths textbooks by hand for me to study.

To access university I knew that I must enter the North Korean military service first. Undeterred, I served in the army, where I taught English and maths to fellow soldiers in my free time. It gave me a sense of purpose and cemented the importance of education to my life from then onwards.

When I was 19-years-old, my whole family decided to leave North Korea to have a truly free life. After coming to South Korea, I faced the shocking truth that much of what I had learned until then was either biassed or false.

This revelation led me to study sociology at Seoul National University, seeking to understand my identity and the world's complexities. While I was there I also discovered a passion for computer science and artificial intelligence, drawn to its promise of innovation.

My university years were a time of exploration, trying to find the true me now that I was free to make decisions about my own future. I realised that I wouldn't find the answer in any book - so I decided to take a year off from university and travel around the country.

One day, during my penniless journey, I saw a group of cows in a field, confined by a weak fence. I was sure the cows were strong enough to escape the cage, but they didn’t. The sight helped me recognise that my own barriers were mental, and I needed to be brave to overcome my challenges.

Now I have the chance to study in the UK. Without your help this would be an impossible goal, but with you, I know I can do it!

I’m so excited to study abroad and broaden my horizons further. I would love to visit pioneering AI hubs in the UK, especially Google DeepMind’s London headquarters where I have dreamed about working.

My ultimate goal is to establish my own AI company, using the money I make to give back to the North Korean community and build a school to empower poor children to pursue education. I want North Korean children to be able to follow their hearts, just like any other young person.

I believe in the profound impact of education on personal freedom and opportunity. Please consider supporting me and Connect: North Korea by donating to this GoFundMe page.

Thank you for reading my story,

Seongcheol

NOTE: Seongcheol hopes to study in the UK for the 2025/26 academic year.

Any donations raised through this GoFundMe page will empower people like Seongcheol to make the most of their newfound freedoms.