A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea

by Masaji Ishikawa

Sometimes in life, you have to grab your so-called destiny by the throat and wring its neck.

the slow movement of those drifting clouds made the sky look like a vast expanse of sea.

These days I find more and more memories coming back to me. Sometimes, I wish they wouldn’t.

if you want to survive, you have to stifle your critical faculties and just get on with things. I had to pick my battles carefully and not let myself get riled up by every little thing.

A totalitarian dictatorship is a “democratic republic.” Bondage is known as “emancipation.”

“Sadness and gladness follow each other.” As I see it, people who experience equal amounts of sadness and happiness in their lives must be incredibly blessed.

And I came to recognize that, no matter how difficult the reality, you mustn’t let yourself be beaten. You must have a strong will. You have to summon what you know is right from your innermost depths and follow it.