"I always have food with me. It comforts me. In restaurants, when people order food — and they have menus — I hate that."

"Just give me something to eat. Quantity matters, not quality. In North Korea I thought a frozen potato was the fanciest food in the world.... I feel guilty... I never dreamed this life. I did not know this life was coming...."

"If I had the things Americans throw away, I wouldn't have left North Korea."

"The way people have to live is unimaginably, indescribably bad."