Black Girl from Pyonhyang: In Search of My Identity

In 1979, seven-year-old Monica Macias was sent by her father Francisco, the president of Equitorial Guinea, to the beautiful, unfamiliar surroundings of North Korea, to be educated under the guardianship of Kim Il Sung. Within months, her father was executed in a military coup; her mother became unreachable.

Effectively orphaned, she and two siblings had to make their life in Pyongyang. At military boarding school, Monica learned to mix with older children, speak fluent Korean and handle weapons on training exercises. But, reaching adulthood and hearing about life beyond North Kroea’s borders, she yearned to go in search of her roots.

Her journey took her to Madrid, Malabo, then New York, Seoul, and finally London, and with every step she was forced to reckon with her own beliefs about the West and its perceptions of her adopted homeland. Optimistic yet unflinching, Monica’s astonishing and unique story challenges us to see the world through different eyes.

Monica will be in conversation with Jim Hoare who was a Research Analyst in the British Diplomatic Service for 33 years. After postings to Seoul and Beijing , in 2001, he became the first British representative in Pyongyang. He has taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and is a regular radio and TV commentator.