Escaping North Korea: Defiance and Hope in the World's Most Repressive Country

by Mike Kim

The first of its kind, this book provides a unique inside look into the hidden world of ordinary North Koreans. Mike Kim, who worked with refugees on the Chinese border for four years, recounts their experiences of enduring famine, sex-trafficking, and torture, as well as the inspirational stories of those who overcame tremendous adversity to escape the repressive regime of their homeland and make new lives.

One of the few Americans granted entry into the secretive "Hermit Kingdom," Kim came to know the isolated country and its people intimately. His North Korean friends entrusted their secrets to him as they revealed the government's brainwashing tactics and confessed their true thoughts about the repressive regime that so rigidly controls their lives. Civilians and soldiers alike spoke of what North Koreans think of Americans and war with America. Children remembered the suffering they endured through the famine. Women and girls recalled their horrific experiences at the hands of sex-traffickers. Former political prisoners shared their memories of beatings, torture, and executions in the gulags.

With the permission of these courageous individuals, Kim now shares their stories and recounts his dramatic experiences leading North Koreans to asylum through the six-thousand-mile modern-day underground railway through Asia. His unflinching narrative exposes the truth about North Korea, stripping away the last veils that still shroud this brutal dictatorship.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Asia, Politics, Memoir, Sociology, China

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2008

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was particularly disappointed with this authors tone in the book. Most of the information is offered through the lens of pro-American, pro-Christian dogma rather than being purely descriptive. Oddly, this Christian missionary sites the similarities in the Christian faith and that of the so-called worship of Kim Il Sung and his son and then in the same paragraph is amazed that the North Koreans could possibly believe such outlandishness. No trace of irony detected by the author. There is a lack of background history, which gives rise to a lot of misunderstanding. For example, the author sites that the country "still" is lacking electricity without mentioning (or seemingly knowing) that the country did at one time have electricity in its homes. Similarly, he claims North Korea has one of the highest disparities between rich and poor, which is a tremendous oversimplification of the class structure of the nation. He seems as concerned with the lack of Western culture/lifestyle as he is with the poverty within North Korea. Within a paragraph detailing the lack of clothing of many North Koreans, he mentions that they can't even have American blue jeans. Further, in a passage about the lack of automobiles he briefly mentions that they are also without the ability to heat their homes. These two things are drastically different, and the more imperative one is a side note. Most of the information in this book comes from second hand stories of relief workers, whose information is interesting, but is neither thorough nor vetted through the processes of more experienced writers. I think most people would get more out of reading Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick.

[Mateo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mike Kim is a gutsy guy. He's also admirable, having given up a cushy Stateside job for the infinitely riskier one of trying to smuggle people out of the hellhole that is North Korea. (If only he could do the same for the Disney World.) I didn't learn a great deal that I didn't know already from Escaping North Korea, except how people escape the place--turns out, corrupt border guards can be found pretty much all over the world--but the stories are nonetheless shocking & depressing. It's a valuable addition to our understanding of that nation and of ways that people triumph over repression.

Still, I had a hard time finishing the book. Partly that's because Kim writes in an artless, direct way that reads a bit like a high-school essay on what I did during my summer torment. That's all right, because no one is going to read Escaping for the writing; it's the facts and stories we're after. So he's not Hemingway; big deal. But the bigger issue for me is Kim's evangelism, which soaks the book like oleo wiped off of Pat Robertson's underarms. Kim isn't just out to help North Koreans, he's out to save them, and it's hard not to wonder just how many of his converts came to believe in the full faith and credit of Jesus Christ because that was the best way to stop their stomachs from growling. I admire Kim's desire to help, and his bravery, but anyone who's ever seen homeless people submitting to a Salvation Army singalong in order to get a plate of franks and beans has to flinch a little to picture the evangelizing of desperate refugees. I know this hardly makes Kim unique. Religions often target those who are weakest or most despairing, and missionaries are everywhere, often doing very laudable work. And his missionary position doesn't invalidate, at least completely, his rescue mission. Still, I would have liked to see fewer approving quotes by right-wing U.S. evangelicals and more evidence that refugees were being helped out of compassion rather than a desire to recruit more freshmen to the Korean Junior Varsity Christians.

[Thebrig · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find stories of North Koreans compelling (and often devastating) but I really struggled with this book. The author is not a writer and I found myself questioning his research. The biggest problem I had with this book was the constant references to God and Christianity. I get it; you're a missionary. I really wanted Kim to clarify that the North Koreans weren't forced to study the bible and that they were offered shelter and protection regardless of whether or not they 'found' Jesus. That reassurance never came. It made it difficult for me to overlook his first-year-essay writing and naivete.

[Queralt✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

**This is a rant/annoyed review, thank you very much.**

Mike Kim has to have a lot of nerve to talk about North Korea's brainwashing in a book that I can only define as evangelist and (annoyingly) pro-American.

Now, do not get me wrong. The North Korean human rights movement (which involves people like Kim who become involved in NGOs in Asia and assist NK refugees escape and/or reach safer third countries) is something that I love and 100% respect. Consequently, I applaud what Kim did when he was involved with the NGO Crossing Borders and I am sure he helped many lives all thorough his work in Asia. But, seriously, what the frick. I think it's very common for media to create a haunting narrative of what NK is like and frame North Koreans as victims, it's sexy, it gets the audience attention, I get it. I sadly read this and found Kim to reduce North Korean refugees as victims, which I found de-humanizing, and generalizations about North Korea and North Koreans in general under the American and Christian dogma were, honestly, a bit tiresome and irritating. I think Krys Lee in her How I Became a North Korean does a superb job in showing how Christian NGOs 'save' North Koreans from North Korea's indoctrination only to brainwash them into Christianity - I'm mentioning a work of fiction, but plenty of NK refugees have echoed this complain about how they are forced to change the Kim cult for a 'new cult' in order to find a better life.

A weird bit in this book is when Kim explain how he wants to help four refugees by dragging them into the British embassy to request asylum in the US while carrying letters to George Bush. It's just weird? Funny? Ironic? (Spoiler, the masterplan fails. It seems you cannot get asylum in a country if you're requesting it in another country's embassy). Another strange part is the last chapter 'There And Back Again' where Kim says he reminds himself of the main character of LOTR, Frodo Baggins. And while I understand where he is coming from, Idk how I feel about this. It's just odd.

Anyhow, I'm giving it 2 stars because 1) I respect what this guy did and his logic that "if more people hear about this, more help will be sent to NK", I just profusely dislike how he chose to put it on paper, and 2) I learnt a total of one things about human trafficking in NK out of reading the book.

Below, I'm going to leave a few great quotes from the book. Quotes that made me angry but whatever :)
North Koreans are weak physically, we have this evil in us (...) We North Koreans are evil, aren't we?

North Korean men are some of the most violent people I have ever met. Violence is somehow encourage by their culture - this comes from NK men doing sports such as tae kwon do or boxing, which is later on praised when a refugee who has relocated to SK says he has started doing boxing as an after school activity.

Even North Korean cows defect.

You can't survive this place unless you have some evil in you.

"The world has seen many renowned heroes. But in no age or in any country has there been found a national hero such as General Kim Il Sung." How backwards!

***I did mention 'brainwashing' above. I'm only echoing the words chosen by Mike Kim, I think there's most appropriate ways to talk about North Korea's political socialization and narrative rather than just reducing it to 'brainwashing' but yeah.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting stories here, particularly on the widespread famine in North Korea, corruption of food aid, kidnapping and human trafficking of women by unscrupulous Chinese near the border, and the intensity of religious fervor of Christian converts.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession. Remember how I told you that I will pick up books 100% based on the cover? Well, I also get book suggestions from The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. The author of this book was on there several months ago. And after a lengthy wait in inter-library loan, I finally got it.

Don't look at the cover too closely. Just read the title and move on. The title has a picture of a woman grappling with Chinese soldiers while her 2 year old stands behind bawling for her. Yeah, not a good picture for someone with a toddler themselves. The story of the cover isn't the main focus of the book. But it's definitely a picture you will remember.

The woman struggling and her crying daughter are North Korean. They have escaped NK and are now in china and are trying to get to an embassy of another country to seek asylum. The girl is separated from her mother by pure inches because the girl is save inside the embassy, and so is a "refugee" and her mother didn't make it inside yet. So her mother wasn't on "safe soil" yet and is being prevented from touching foot on that soil by soldiers. But someone snapped a photo, and a few days later the mother was reunited with the girl and they were granted asylum due to the heavy international pressure.

This book is full of stories like that. This book made me really sad. Reading about North Korea and the impoverishment, torture, starvation and imprisonment of it's own people is just shocking. I mean, I had to keep reminding myself that these are things that happened not 50 years ago, but 2. TWO YEARS AGO. And they are still happening today.

The book was very easy to read. And it was very good because it was told from the standpoint of an American who gave up years of his life to help people that he had never met nor with whom he had any relationship. That kind of service is something we can all learn from.

Finally, this book made me dislike China EVEN MORE (if possible) and start to have negative feelings towards South Korea. I know they are our friends and allies, but the way they sign UN "reformations" and then turn their heads the other way when they hear about atrocities going on right over the river is horrible. This book states that it will take the help of these countries to make any changes in NK.

I really feel sorry for the NK people who don't know any different, who are systematically brainwashed and taught to fight, steal, beg and die for a country that starves them and then discards them as if they were banana peels. I don't advocate going in there and starting another war, but seriously, no one should be forced to live like they do. Maybe I should learn Korean and go over there?. . . Hmmmm. . .

Jury is still out on that one. I'll let you know what I decide

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can I give this book 2 reviews?

The first part of the book deserves 3 stars for the portrayal of life behind the North Korean Iron Curtain. I was amazed at the personal stories of the horrible conditions in North Korea. The level of oppression and the government propaganda goes beyond what I could have believed is possible in this modern age. The persecution of Christians was particularly surprising, but I would have liked a more balanced consideration of religious oppression. I'm sure other religious groups have not fared well under the Kim regime but they aren't mentioned in this book.

The second part of the book reads like a case statement for the author's NGO. As commendable as their work is, an un-biased point of view would have been nice. As another reviewer pointed out, "the bigger issue for me is Kim's evangelism, which soaks the book like oleo wiped off of Pat Robertson's underarms. Kim isn't just out to help North Koreans, he's out to save them..." I am sure there is an audience that will really enjoy that aspect of this book, I'm just not that audience.

[MAP · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book and a heart wrenching look at what's going on inside North Korea. The first half of the book painstakingly walks you through what life is like for the average person in North Korea (albeit somewhat haphazardly).

The second half of the book somewhat shifts focus to the Crossing Borders organization, which helped refugees in China. This is slightly less interesting, and because it's a Christian organization, is written from the perspective of and many times about Christian helpers and refugees. Little is discussed about other forms of religious persecution in North Korea, though they surely must exist.

Despite that, the Christian aspect is written matter-of-factly, without a "BELIEVE WHAT WE BELIEVE, READER" element to it. It's simply written from that perspective.

I would say the 1st half of the book is 5 stars, while the 2nd half is 3 1/2 stars. But I would recommend this to anybody who's interested in the world's most isolated and oppressive country.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fascinating perspective into the lives of North Koreans seeking to escape. Somewhat dated book (2008, pre Kim Jong Un), but still relevant.

The author, a Korean American, ditched his regular finance job to go work on the border of China and North Korea, helping North Koreans escape via the "Underground Railroad" of sorts through Southeast Asia that many North Koreans go through to seek asylum.

The work, obviously, was challenging and dangerous, but the author's passion combined with a religious calling drove him to the task. However, the religious nature of his desire to help wasn't too much of a distraction and the book didn't come across as especially preachy (and frankly, given that atheists aren't the ones out there risking their lives to save North Koreans, I wouldn't complain even if it was).

Though maybe not the most engaging writing, it was honest and interesting, a memoir and a bit of a thriller as he detailed some of the experiences he went through in his position. The stories of his rescues were amazing. A true hero, in my eyes!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm. I guess I learned a lot about NK in this book than I did in previous books, like about drug smuggling/use and Christianity in NK. But idk this book didn't feel very substantial. That's awesome that he helped refugees escape and he's part of an organization that helps so many people, but I would have preferred to hear those stories instead. Also ending the book with what "leaders and experts" think we should do with NK was a bad decision. Long-winded and very westernized in a way that I was uncomfortable with. For example I would not want to hear from a guy who used to work at the Pentagon about what his thoughts on NK are.

But overall I guess it was also interesting to read that people in NK seem to be rebelling? Ish? Don't know if it's still a thing since this book was published in 2008 when Kim Jong Il was still in power. But it's definitely not something I've read about anywhere else.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend that EVERYONE should read a certain book every now and again, sometimes it really isn't for everyone. This book wont interest everyone, but I think it still should be mandatory that every American read at least one book about North Korea, especially if that certain American happens to be feeling sorry for themselves. You have nothing to complain about. Nothing. Not compared to the hell all North Koreans suffer through everyday. I knew NK still had operating concentration camps nearly 10 years ago, but I never knew the horror of what those camps are until I read this book and I still only got a small glimpse. Mike Kim has guts, that's for sure. The world would be a lot better place if more people would risk their lives for humanity like he has.

[Dovofthegalilee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I grew in my apprehension the further along I got in this book. I’ve been is missions for the past sixteen years in the Middle East and I have grown use to “embellished” newsletters and it has really grown tiring.
In 2005 I was in China as it happened right on the crest of the wave by a book that came out then called The Heavenly Man. One of the places I was scheduled to be in was the home region of where this book The Heavenly Man took place and the people there did not support what was in the book. It’s very sad to hear this.
Putting that all aside because I don’t know what is truth or fiction in this book I had recurring thoughts all the while.
One thought was the fact that people were able to escape and yet they kept going back which raised a huge question in my mind as how was this possible? With the average person wiling to turn someone in as being a spy how was this routinely happening? Was it happening?

The next thing that really irks me in my own mission is the idea of removing people to safety. Every time someone gives their lives to Jesus Christ there’s a big pressure to extract them to safety---namely the United States where in almost all instances I’ve personally known of the youth starts college, finds a mate who is Muslim and they go off and have a happy new life. This might be a tactic or it certainly has developed into one that’s for sure but the churches should know better but they don’t learn. Their lack of understanding continues to weaken and unstabilize the churches throughout the world due to this behavior. Bottom line the indigenous church wherever needs to thrive and not be tampered by the unknowing.

[Victoria (hotcocoaandbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author, Mike Kim, was born in the US as what I gathered to be a second generation American with Korean ancestry. He felt led to go to China on the border of North Korea. He created a non-profit organization called Crossing Borders to help refugees from N. Korea. Many missionaries, pastors, and Taekwondo masters assist him (as he is a black belt himself).

This book covers various stories of those that he met along the way and even some of his own trials and struggles. Some of the stories are really very sad. North Korea is not an easy place to live in at all, and you will learn that in every page.

I had mainly wanted to read this book because it tells a side of human traffickig mainly endured by women as they are lured into sex trafficking if caught by traffickers while they are escaping North Korea. Although the book doesn't extensively talk about some of the hardships they go through, it definitely talks about it here and there and you can tell how protective Mr. Kim is of those who endured the horrific things they went through.

I have not had a lot of knowledge of North Korea and this book definitely helped me understand some of that. Although I have watched a few documentaries on the country, this book really shed light on the dark instances there.

This is a Christian book but it is not preachy and is instead informative.

[Aubrey Bass · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved learning about North Korea from this book, from someone who lived and helped people across the border. The people he interviewed had heartbreaking accounts to tell, but they aided in bringing to life the horrors going on in that country. I was blown away by all the people (mostly Christians in this book) who risk their lives and those of their families to smuggle North Koreans to safety. What an inspiration!

I think the only things holding me back from rating this higher were that it was dated (pre hs graduation for me) so I felt like I had to be a little skeptical on some of the information only because it wasn't current. Also, the writing was a little basic. I actually was relieved the writing was easy to read through for a non-fiction, but it wouldn't win any kind of literary awards.

[Frank Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my review, I have chosen to pretend I was reading the book when it was current. As a book of this kind written 20 years ago, it is very out of date, as the world has changed significantly. Ignoring this deficit in the book, it was extremely well written and gripping. The book is based on the stories of numerous people who have tried (some successfully) to escape North Korea. Many of the accounts are harrowing and oppressive, so the book is not a feel-good story. Instead, I sometimes felt ill while reading the book. The last chapter that discussed various politicians ideas on how to change North Korea was by far the worst part of the book, not only because it was dry (compared with the stories), but also because those views were wrong (as I can see 20 years later).

[Monica Meagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great high level overview of a wide variety of issues and concerns around North Korean refugees. Very broad - learned some interesting basics. Would have liked more depth or history in some areas. Also it’s pretty apparent Kim is not an author. Lastly since he works for a Christian NGO there was more focus on god and praying than I’d prefer.

[Joel Harley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

[Matilda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this few years ago. I still remember reading this book and crying feeling the pain of the characters in the book.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, as with many of the global issues I have been reading about, I knew next to nothing about North Korea, so this book opened my eyes about their devastating plight. In terms of the world's most oppressive and human rights abusing countries, North Korea ranks above many of the totalitarian Muslim regimes in the Middle East. It is just stunning. The North Korean people are starving in their own country as the dictator brainwashes them into thinking that they are one of the most prosperous countries in the world. They have no contact with the outside world, cannot watch TV or listen to radio, and many villages have broadcast systems that only play a running loop of propaganda. The stories of their suffering in their country as well as in the refugee life is so heartbreaking. The author is a Korean American who spent 4 years establishing shelters and networks for refugees on the China border; and his heroics as well as all members of the system are intensely inspirational. It was hard to read especially parts where he talked about how the brainwashing and propaganda has made North Koreans thieves and liars and haters of America.

The only part that was unfar was the fact that the organizations were mostly Christian missionary ones; if you want to provide help to the most opppressed and vicitmized, that is heroic, but do not add to their burden by trying to convert them at the same time. Isn't that as manipulative as the North Korean regime, where you offer safety, food, comfort to a traumatized people and then give them Bibles which get them killed if they are captured and repatriated back to North Korea? The author even writes that the refugees were asked when they were deported if they had even talked to a missionary, and they could be killed for that.

[Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a brilliantly written book, but the story that it tells is rich in anecdotes from the lives of real North Koreans. In this book we learn of the hellish choices that North Koreans must make within their state just to survive, and the almost as difficult choices they are confronted with as resourceless refugees in China. For these stories it is well worth reading. Mike Kim spent several years in China helping North Korean escapees, as a missionary . I'm generally very opposed to anyone operating in the name of Christian mission - the cultural imperialism of Christianity is often offensive to me, and is epitomized by organized efforts to change the beliefs of others. But, in this case, I have to say that North Koreans have so little that this is one place where Christian missionary work probably doesn't hurt very much relative to the good that is being attempted. Every culture has a unique value that does not deserve to be disrupted by missionary imperialism, but in the case of North Korea it truly appears that we have a destroyed culture, a nation hollowed out of human values and a genocidal regime. In that context, whatever Kim's agenda may have been, and however offensive I would find it in other contexts, it could probably do little harm here. When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose. He obviously was dedicated to doing considerable good by helping people rebuild their lives in China, and in some cases helping them to voluntarily return to North Korea or to flee China. It is possible to read this and believe that he may have accomplished some good. If North Korea is your thing, this is a good window on the reality of the place and people based on one man's multi-year adventure on the Chinese border.

[Ken Bronsil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike Kim is the Korean-American who founded Crossing Borders Ministries, a non-governmental organization dedicated to helping refugees escaping from North Korea. Those who make it past the border into China are still not secure because China's official policy is to return any refugees to North Korea, where they will certainly be imprisoned and may be executed for treason.

Crossing Borders shelters and feeds those who make it to China, relying on its network of small Christian churches (which are themselves clandestine) to help most refugees undertake a treacherous 6,000 mile journey to one of several other countries where they can settle or seek asylum in a South Korean embassy.

The network is referred to as an Underground Railroad, equivalent to the one in 19th-century America. But it's continuing to happen right now.

Kim devotes many chapters to North Korea's living conditions and government policies that repress any free exchange of ideas, contributed to a terrible famine ten years ago, and persecuted Christians. Most of this is told through testimonies of refugees, and in places it is hard reading. His narration of his actual experiences traveling the escape routes are vivid and grabbing.

[LNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book cover a lot. Mike Kim spent 4 years working for a non-profit near the Chinese/North Korean border and interacted with a lot of people. These are their stories, but it is not as interesting as that makes it sound. At most a person's story covers 2 pages - and is lacking in detail; which doesn't offer the same heartbreak and anger that makes changes. The book was way more religious than I was expecting, and I cannot tell if that is why I didn't like it as much because I have a bias against x-tains (I know too many that b*tch about persecution in the US, that I stop caring) or if it was too jumbled up in the stories. This is a very informative book though and I did read it is about 24 hours. Tons of people told Kim their stories and those stories need to be told. I think it might be a must read for those thinking about the mission field or those worried about the x-tains of northern Asia. I think religious or Korean-Americans will get the most out of this book and have it affect them; the religious and ethnic issues may take away the importance from other readers. I recommend it.

[Bonnie Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read about North Korea yet. The author takes you with him as he helps North Korean refugees escape through China to get to South Korea. You begin to understand how impossibly hard life in North Korea is and the bravery and resiliency it takes to escape. Mr. Kim describes in detail the the risks to their life and safety that they continue to experience even after crossing the border into China. The most surprising thing to learn was that 50% of refugees actually end up returning to North Korea. This illustrates not only the psychological attachment that people have to the place where they were born regardless of the hardships they experience there, but also the strain refugees experience adapting to a new culture and language. Some successfully make the transition and are able to fully embrace their new life, but others are drawn back to what's familiar, as hard as that life may be. The positive side of refugees returning is that they bring the things they learned back with them to share with their friends and neighbors. This is the way to start changing the country from the inside. Interesting and insightful book.

[Kapi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gets three stars for fascinating subject matter: exposing the thickly veiled situation in North Korea. However, I couldn't help but think that a talented journalist could have written a much more compelling account of both the North Korean citizens' lives and the work that Crossing Borders is doing. There was very little effort put into transitions from section to section and characters with incredibly moving personal stories were miraculously stripped of any dimension and landed flat and lifeless on the page.

The concluding chapters were particularly awkward. One about heroes made me cringe it was so cheesy. The other attempted to put forth policy suggestions, but instead of an informed and thoughtful analysis of the options, Kim provided lengthy quotes from political bigwigs and left the reader to draw conclusions... or not. But I'm being too harsh. Definitely worth a read. Kim offers a unique glimpse into a humanitarian crisis that is well worth paying attention to. May this be the first of many books on the subject.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

We know so little about North Korea. Whenever I can, I read accounts of those who have fled. This book was a good source of info in that it gave experiences of refugees from North Korea on their lives in North Korea, their lives in China, and their lives afterward. Several reviews have criticized that the author puts in too manyreferences to Christianity. The organization giving the refugees aid was a Christian organization, so that makes sense; naturally, he sees things through a lens of Christianity. At no point does he state that any refugees were forced to become believers before getting help. I particularly enjoyed learning more about how this organization helped refugees from North Korea. We as Americans are blessed beyond measure with our abundance of food, clothing, and freedom to express our opinion. We have freedom of religion that would land us all in a North Korean gulag. Mr Kim’s book was another reminder of all I have to be thankful for.

[jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book because I could relate to it and it goes into detail about Mike's experiences in the underground railroad. Although majority of the read felt like an abruptly written blog entry recapping his entire time spent doing this work, I understand that not everyone's a naturally skilled writer and I think he did a better job than I ever could have. I appreciated it very much for his commitment and bravery and the amazing work he and Crossing Borders have and continue to do. I only wish he was a little more vulnerable--rather than recalling his journey, covering so many facets and topics in such few words, and doing a semi-shallow analysis on human rights in North Korea. It could've been a very exciting read as a memoir!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story presented here is an important one. I'm glad I read this book. It took me a while to get to it, but I was determined to. The stories don't shock me so much as make me a sad that this sort of thing still happens today.

Reading this suffered a little for me because it followed directly on the heels of another foreign / crime type book that had a much easier flow to the writing. It's still good, it's just not smooth.

If you're interested in Korea you should take a look at this book. They're still shooting at each other 60 years after the war started. I served there for a year when I was with the Army. I hope a peaceful way can be found to put this country back together and give everyone the peace and prosperity they deserve.

[Adam Floridia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll get this out of the way: the reading level was pretty low. Kim actually starts one sentence, "Webster's dictionary defines a 'hero' as..." Better writing would make for more poignant and deeply felt stories.

That said, it is utterly mind-boggling to think (rather, to know) that countries as repressive as North Korea exist. Life there sounds unbelievable--like Orwell's worst nightmare. Reading this made me not only appreciate the good ole US of A a bit more (perhaps I will not be so quick to criticize the idiocies I witness in our own government) but it also made me question the value of human life, the true nature of mankind, one's duty to help others, and the purpose of life--all of the questions that the best fiction poses. Sadly this isn't fiction.

[Aniko · Rating 1 out of 5]

one of the worst books ever read. no doubt that the author means well - but well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions as they say. he should have stuck to writing about his own experiences of working on the chinese-north korean border - by virtue of which he thinks he's the next 'expert' on north korea. which he is certainly not. a bunch of anecdotes, most of which are second-hand anyway, are no substitute for reliable information on the 'world's most secretive regime.' and they most certainly don't pull off that veil at all. the saddest of all is all the people who read it and think they have finally learned 'the truth.' would turn that 1 star into a negative one star if i could, it's that bad