When Joe Rogan was left stunned by North Korean defector Yeonmi Park's stories

Joe Rogan is arguably the most famous MMA figure who isn't an actual fighter. The longtime UFC color commentator is a fundamental part of the experience the promotion promises viewers at home. Aside from his commenting role, Rogan is also a popular podcaster who is known for a wide variety of guests.

A year ago, he had North Korean activist Yeonmi Park on his JRE podcast, during which she recounted the horrific ordeal that she and her family went through in order to escape from North Korea.

Park mentioned that the lack of phones and maps meant that she and her family didn't know what the outside world looked like.

One of the darkest elements of the trials she recounted to Joe Rogan involved not being able to say goodbye to some of her loved ones:

"The tragic thing for North Koreans is that we cannot even say goodbye to our loved ones. So if we got caught on the journey, and if my father knew that we were escaping, he's gonna be punished so much. So it's better off that he does not know that we are escaping, for his own safety. 'Cause they're gonna torture you to the point that you're gonna say anything."

During her time on the podcast, Park also mentioned that the absence of electricity in the border town she lived in meant that the only lights came from China, which prompted her to head there with her sister. This, however, had its own challenges:

"But the thing is, even that, they don't allow North Korean women to stay there. They catch us and they send us back to North Korea. Last month, China repatriated 50 North Korean defectors back to North Korea. It's sending them to Auschwitz. Literally, they are sending them to death camp. But they, Chinese regime, still send us back because they think we are posing a threat to the regime and they don't want the regime to collapse."

Catch a clip from the podcast episode below:

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What else is Joe Rogan known for?

While most fans know Joe Rogan to be the UFC's most prominent color commentator and the promotion's most recognizable voice, he has a storied history in American pop culture.

Not only is he a popular podcaster, he is also an extremely successful comedian.

Additionally, Joe Rogan is also known for having been the host of game show Fear Factor for five years between 2001 and 2006.

Regardless, his podcast has been his most successful endeavor, enough so that he has been able to cut back on his commentating duties for the UFC.