WASHINGTON — This is a story of resilience, perseverance, and courage.
The world's first baseball team of young North Korean defectors visited the nation's capital.
This is a group of young people who have done what very few people have dared, or managed to do — they risked their lives fleeing one of the world's most repressive regimes.
"The Challengers" baseball team is made up of 12 players, and thanks to the nonprofit New Korean Peninsula Baseball Association, they learned how to play baseball. It's a sport that is unheard of in communist North Korea.
The director for the organization, Elaine Kang, says baseball has helped them better adapt to their new life in South Korea. They hope this trip to D.C. and experiencing first-hand the land of freedom and opportunities will help them even more overcome the difficulties they faced defecting from North Korea.
During their brief trip, the players met with Korean-American lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Julie Turner, toured the memorials, and attended the "Korean Heritage Day" event at the Washington Nationals game Wednesday night. The players even got a special baseball lesson from former Nats pitcher Chad Cordero!
The team hopes that by sharing their story, they can help people gain a deeper understanding of North Korean defectors and give us a glimpse into a country we know little about.