A NORTH Korean woman who was trafficked and sold as a bride to a Chinese man has said life in the hermit state is “much worse” than people believe.
The woman - named only as Joy - said most North Koreans want to live a peaceful life despite the cruelty of Kim Jong-un’s brutal regime.
And she said only a few believed in the propaganda and fake news churned out by Pyongyang.
Joy said she escaped to China when she was 18 but was immediately trafficked and sold to a Chinese man for £2,265.
She said: “Life was difficult, but I gave birth to a daughter who became the joy of my life.
“After two years I was offered an opportunity to finally escape. I reached freedom through a 3,000-mile rescue route that brought me to Southeast Asia, and from there I flew to South Korea.
“Because the journey out of China is incredibly dangerous for North Koreans, I had to leave my daughter behind.
“I now live in South Korea and I am studying social work to help North Korean women who have also been trafficked. I hope to bring my daughter to South Korea to live with me one day.
“Because I have family in North Korea that could face punishment if my identity was revealed, I cannot share my real name or show my face.”
When asked about the West’s view of North Korea she said: “It is much worse than the way media portrays it.
“They are so focused on the military and showing scenes of Pyongyang when average North Koreans are really struggling to survive.
“I wish they would show how normal North Koreans who are trying to live normal lives despite the cruelness of the regime.
“There is so much focus in the western media about North Korea's military and nuclear weapons.
“There is rarely any stories about average North Koreans, especially those that live outside the capital Pyongyang.
“Most North Koreans are ordinary people that want to live peaceful lives but the media makes it look like every North Korean wants to destroy America or South Korea.”
Joy said only people deemed by the regime to be loyal to Kim are allowed to live in Pyongyang with the rest struggling to survive in poverty-stricken rural communities.
She said: “I knew many people that disappeared and it was rumoured they were taken to prison camps.
“There was never a way to confirm it, they just vanished one day.”
Joy said she was from the north of the country where Pyongyang’s propaganda was taken with a pinch of salt.
She said: “Most people that live by the Chinese border know the propaganda is fake.
“They have a lot of exposure to foreign media that is smuggled in through China.
“The people that believe the propaganda usually live in secluded areas with little access to outside media."
“It is not cultural, I think young North Korean children are not really aware how difficult life is.
“But I know plenty of adults that smile too!”