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

by Masaji Ishikawa

You don’t choose to be born. You just are. And your birth is your destiny, some say. I say the hell with that. And I should know. I was born not just once but five times. And five times I learned the same lesson. Sometimes in life, you have to grab your so-called destiny by the throat and wring its neck.

I can’t even describe the hopelessness and despair I felt walking into my house in Dong Chong-ri after a long day of work and facing their hunger.

There’s a saying, “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. Some people lead a painful life full of nothing but sorrow.

If you suffer long enough, it almost becomes funny, and you can find yourself laughing at the most miserable situations.

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.