Posted on 04/30/2012 9:38:39 AM PDT by DFG
Shin Dong-huyk is 29 years old. He loves Mexican food and going to baseball games. But any similarities between Shin and other young men ends there. Shin Dong-huyk is the only person known to have escaped from a North Korean prison camp. He was born into a life of enslavement and torture inside Camp 14, where he was starved, beaten and forced to watch the executions of his mother and brother.
He existed within the camp’s concrete walls, which had no running water or furniture, until aged 23, he escaped. He spent one month on the run before sneaking over the border into China, and eventually reaching the safety of the South Korean embassy.
Last month, a book about his life — Escape from Camp 14 — was published, taking its place at the top of the bestseller lists. I met him in London as he prepared to speak at a House of Commons meeting to raise awareness about North Korean prisoners.
(Excerpt) Read more at thisislondon.co.uk ...
Whoops. I stand corrected.
Park was Shin’s friend, and he did die.
Park was eltrocuted and died. His body lay on the wires separating them enough for Shin to crawl through.
Camp 14 - it’s the 0bamunist dream. They’re so close they can almost taste it.
Yup; didn’t catch my misread in time. Thanks.
De nada.
I think it is reason to celebrate that he escaped, and will have a chance for a somewhat normal life, and that he is able to share his story to give the rest of us some idea as to what goes on there, the levels to which a modern-day society can sink, etc.
Here's another fleeing-Communist-hell book: Donbas: A True Story of an Escape Across Russia by Jacques Sandulescu. Disturbing, but you'll be thinking about it a long time.
Yes, you're right. The slave camps of North Korea are known to be superb schools for literary technique. It's disappointing in the extreme that someone who was raised amidst torture, starvation, and unspeakable cruelty wouldn't have found the time to hone his writing style to an acceptable level of polish and sophistication. The fact that he isn't even a native English speaker is no excuse. And the important thing about the book is the style and the excitement it delivers, not the truth it reveals. Why don't you write to the guy and tell him he doesn't know how to write a book?
While the unimprisoned citizens of NK are probably aware of the rest of the world, they certainly have no idea of what actually lies out here. State run TV is all they see and hear.
“This brave young man’s experience seems to mirror that of Kang Chol-Hwan, author of ‘The Aquariums of Pyongyang’”
I read that book. As I recall, Kang’s family lived in Japan and his grandmother was a dedicated communist. It was she that lead the family to move to north Korea, thinking she was leading them to paradise. It wasn’t long after their arrival that the family were all put away into a concentration camp. At first the grandmother thought that this was some sort of mistake that would soon be rectified. It took a couple years of imprisonment in the camp before she finally became disillusioned with communism. Afterwards she was racked with guilt for being the one primarily responsible for where her family was.
“....to raise awareness about North Korean prisoners.”
.
He will be talking to a brick wall.
“I wish Al Gore and his band of fairy unbathed would check-in for a stay at Camp 14 for a couple of months and then come back an witness to the world their view of N. Korea.”
Your comment reminds me of Angela Davis. She defected to Cuba. Castro put her to work in the sugar cane fields chopping sugar cane.
She lasted three months then came back here crying that her “teaching ability” here best-served her cause.
re: “....doesn’t know how to write a book”
I agree with you — Harden has his credentials as NYtimes/WashPost correspondent Maybe this fellow is looking more for a former fiction writer’s style. Who knows.
Anyway Shin didn’t/doesn’t speak a lick of English — the interviews with Harddin took place over 7 meetings (some week long full days) with Shin’s best friend as the interpreter. There is a couple in Ohio who played a big part in this — I want to find out more about them too. Good people.
Sooo if the former govenor of New Mexico Richardson gets indicted for a long list of illegalities he can always rely on his buds in Nork land to give him asylum.
And they keep telling us you can’t build a fence. Who knew?
Over all a pretty good article, brainwashing is very effective when used on the young. And that scares the hell out of when I see what in happening in our public school systems.
I noted the author of this piece got NK and SK reversed a couple times.
-—I’m not sure that you read the article, he was responsible for his mother’s and brothers death. He seems to feel no remorse about it, it’s all just about him.-—
He was subjected to incomprehensible brainwashing from birth.
He now says that he will carry guilt for their deaths until he dies.
I hope he finds Jesus before then.
God help him and the other North Korean prisoners.
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