Key Concept 2: Escaping from the grips of North Korea.

The second key idea in this story is about the Park family’s desperate attempt to escape North Korea after facing economic hardship and persecution for their illegal trading activities. After losing their business to state-managed marketplaces, Yeonmi’s father turned to smuggling precious metals as a means to support his family. Despite the risks involved in such an illegal operation, the business thrived for a while, providing them with basic necessities and even some little luxuries. However, their world turned upside down in 2002 when Yeonmi’s father was arrested and sentenced to ten years in a harsh prison camp for his illegal activities.

Although he was eventually able to bribe his way out of prison, Yeonmi’s father was severely malnourished and unable to continue their family business operations. With no other option left, the family finally decided to escape North Korea by crossing the Yalu River into China. They planned to find a job there and live a life in peace and abundance. However, their escape plan was delayed when Yeonmi unexpectedly fell sick and had to undergo surgery.

Eunmi, Yeonmi’s older sister, could not wait any longer and decided to cross the river on her own. When Yeonmi was released from the hospital, she learned that Eunmi had successfully crossed the river and was no longer in North Korea. Determined to reunite with her sister, Yeonmi and her mother went to the same broker and begged them to help them cross the river as well. The broker agreed, and they finally crossed the river with a guide, hoping to taste freedom after years of living under the dictatorship of the Kims. However, their journey was far from over, and they would face many more challenges and dangers along the way.

As soon as Yeonmi and her mother crossed the river into China, they found themselves in a new set of dangers. They were in a foreign country, without any documents or resources, and had to evade the Chinese authorities who were known for repatriating North Korean defectors back to their country, where they would face severe punishment.

Despite the risks, Yeonmi and her mother managed to find refuge with a group of fellow North Korean defectors in a small Chinese town. But their respite was short-lived. One night, Yeonmi and her mother were awakened by a group of Chinese men who had broken into their room. They were kidnapped and taken to a nearby brothel, where they were sold as sex slaves.

Yeonmi and her mother managed to escape from the brothel after several months of captivity, but they were still in danger. They had to navigate their way through China, avoiding the authorities and human traffickers, until they could find a way to reach South Korea, where they would be granted asylum and protection.

Their journey to South Korea was long and arduous, involving a perilous trek across the Gobi Desert and a harrowing encounter with Mongolian soldiers who threatened to send them back to North Korea. But eventually, after more than two years of uncertainty and danger, Yeonmi and her mother arrived in South Korea, where they were granted asylum and the chance to start a new life.

Yeonmi’s story is a powerful reminder of the resilience and strength of the human spirit, and the importance of fighting for freedom and human rights. Despite facing unimaginable challenges and risks, she never gave up on her dream of a better life, and her courage and determination continue to inspire people around the world.