A laser focus on freedom
This is one in a series of profiles showcasing some of Harvard’s stellar graduates. North Korea is a harsh and isolated dictatorship, but Jieun Baek is not about to let that minor detail get in her way. “My obsession, my life passion, is with this idea of trying to bombard this country with information about the outside world,” said Baek. “To get people to not only think about what’s outside their reality, but also trying to build mental capacity to act on that. I’m not trying to start a revolution, because the regime has no qualms about wiping … people out, but trying to inform that citizenry is something I’m really interested in.” Baek’s parents were born in South Korea, but her interest in the North began when she arrived at Harvard College. “It was November of freshman year, and some cute guy asked me to come to a talk at Kirkland House....