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Escaping North Korea: Defiance and Hope in the World's Most Repressive Country |  | Author: Mike Kim
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
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Seller: bargainbookcellarllc
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 334359
Media: Hardcover
Edition: First Edition
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 5.9 x 1
ISBN: 0742556204
Dewey Decimal Number: 306.095193
EAN: 9780742556201
ASIN: 0742556204
Publication Date: July 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Escaping North Korea provides a rare and unique inside look into the hidden world of ordinary North Koreans. It recounts firsthand experiences of enduring famine, women's sex trafficking experiences, and torture in the gulags, as well as inspirational stories of refugees who overcame tremendous adversity to escape the repressive regime of their homeland and make new lives.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 19
 Heartbreaking storytelling with hopeful results August 27, 2010
E. Baxter (Hawaii)
Kim offers a fascinating view into the isolated world of north korea. The plight of the average person is astonishing. Most people know of the terrible famine, the repressive policies, particularly as they relate to religion or politics, and mind-numbing propaganda, but the stories of the refugees told here bring the tragedy to a personal level. The catastrophe that is north korea displays the abject failure of communism and its devastating effect on its citizenry. The author's and others' work to help the north korean refugees is encouraging but Kim lays out much to do. The book consists largely of imparting the stories of refugees and their lives under kim jung il and his cronies. I consider myself a person who keeps up on the news coming out of north korea and still found new details here. The extent of human trafficking along with the very real threat of being returned by Chinese authorities are issues that are well presented and should be of great concern to the world at large. The information relayed by the refugees about how much and what kind of food was available and/or affordable is also very interesting and continues to underscore the magnitude of human suffering caused by the stalinist regime. While the book is obviously not a feel-good pick-me-up there is an undercurrent of hope presented in the ongoing work of Christian organizations such as Crossing Borders and the resilience of the refugees themselves. Also very interesting is Kim's story of helping refugees enter guarded embassies and cross secured borders. Some reviewers have noted that refugees often inflate their ordeals to gain sympathy and support and are therefore not reliable witnesses, however; the refugees stories are very consistent with one another and certainly the reality of their starvation is written in their bodies. Many are suffering in north korea, but much can be done to help them. I especially enjoyed Mr. Kim's frequent references to his own Christian faith, those he works with and the refugees who find comfort and salvation through their work. It is inspiring to read about Christians heading into north korea and especially those refugees who willingly return to share the gospel with their friends and families under threat of death or imprisonment in the gulags. Absent here are arguments on politics or particular strategies for dealing with north korea and their nuclear program. Mr. Kim's book is simply a straightforward telling of the need for help however it can be offered. I recommend this book for someone who is interested in the human suffering within north korea, the bravery of refugees and the people risking their own lives to help them, and what individuals can do to help. This is a very timely book. It's time to free the people of north korea.
 A good read May 5, 2010
Daniel Duan (CA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Escaping North Korea was a book I thought would capture a epic story - about the author's experiences helping refugees escape North Korea. Although there are bits and pieces of that epic story in there, the book is what good non-fiction is suppose to do - it does not fudge the facts to present a more interesting story - it presents what actually happened. Although the book is not your typical escape from doom story, it does do a good job of presenting what life is really like for these refugees. You view a splice of their lives, the tragic and horrifying conditions they go through, and their experience with lasting or fleeting freedom.
 Letdown February 22, 2010
Johann Gambolputty
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
After seeing the Daily Show interview I thought this would be an excellent book, but it was quite a disappointment. It is very badly written, as if no editor was present. After the first few chapters I already got very tired of the repetitive "someone told me..." and "it is said that..." method of relaying 'facts'. It makes it hard to ascertain the veracity of what he states and actually weakens whatever it is he wants to convey. Kim uses a sledgehammer to try to convince the reader how evil and backward North Korea is and throws everything but the kitchen sink at it. I have no doubt that North Korea is a pretty bad place to live, but the case would have been much better made if it felt more objective and deeper informed. The information in the books sounds too propagandistic and seems based on too much hearsay to actually help to give the reader the feeling they got a reliable description of the refugee problem and the issues with North Korea. And on a side note, the bit overbearing Christian angle also does not really help either.
I liked it February 2, 2010
Mario Benevento
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As someone who knows little about North Korea other than the fact that they are very seclusive, I found the book to be interesting. Organization is a little off, some chapters are about life in N.Korea, others about rescue attempts (some amusing because the author, at times, was just kind of "winging it" and expresses relief that things worked out). Some conclusions are drawn quite hastily and without much besides speculation. For instance, at one point the idea is presented that N.Korea intentionally turns a blind eye to coke problems because it decreases appetite (in an place of food shortage) while keeping people hyper-alert for work.
If you are looking for a dramatic read, this isn't you you. It hits a weird spot where it is mostly informative, but not in an empirical sense, more of a "satisfying your curiosity" kind of way.
Not worth the time January 24, 2010
Guy (California, USA)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
This was a weak read without any central focus or meaningful conclusions. The few extended experiences he described should have been much more interesting but were somehow unfulfilling. He also infused far too much Christianity into what, for the most part, should be a secular issue. That was probably the most distracting issue for me and should have been left at the door since he reached far beyond just what his personal experiences were (otherwise it would have been ok but just not my cup of tea). Really, a whole chapter of Christianity in North Korea? Find a better book.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 19
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