Liberation From North Korea

Today I learned the true complexities of escaping from North Korea while reading Tom O' Neill's experiences in the article, Escape From North Korea, from Nation Geographic Magazine.

To my surprise despite this articles length, the author held my interest very well by using a sense of mystery and hope for the North Korean Escapees in Tom O' Neill's story. The article begins by introducing two escapees, code named, Red and White. It is hard to believe the harsh realities faced by citizen's of North Korea. As stated in the article North Korea's people deal with poverty, famine, and women face their own prisons being fooled into the internet sex industry. Ultimately North Koreans face a horrible sense of hopelessness, with no foreseeable future outside of Kim Jong's control over their lives.

Red and white both faced what is becoming a growing issue in North Korea. Both of them became enslaved by the sex industry, locked away in a room, forced to "talk dirty" to clients in south Korea as stated in Tom O' Neill's article. Not all hope is lost, with the help of a small group of humanitarians and smugglers an estimated 15,000 have escaped from North Korea.

Tom O' Neill leaves you to wonder what hardships Red and White will face by exposing the harsh reality of China's refusal to recognize North Korean run-aways as refugees. Throughout Red and White's journey they have to avoid drawing attention to themselves in fear of the police finding their true identity. However not all escape the watchful eye. Pastor Chun Ki-won, founder of one of many organizations in South Korea to help defectors was arrested by chinese police in 2002 on the Mongolian Border.

Fortunately, Red and White and others mentioned found freedom through a complex series of checkpoints, informants, and rendevous in the complex Asian Undergound Railroad. Ultimately this article opened up my eyes to what is happenning in the world around us. More improtantly I realize just how much of a gift it is to live in the U.S, to live in a country where escaping is not a concern, and where freedom and opportunity live.