Japanese Woman Trapped in North Korea for 40 Years
Hiroko Saito was 19 years old when she left Japan for North Korea in June 1961 with her Korean husband and their one-year-old daughter, persuaded by assurances that they were heading to a "paradise on earth" and that she could return to Japan after three years. Instead, she would spend four decades in North Korea, enduring chronic hunger, the deaths of her husband and children and a desperate…
On June 1961, Hiroko Saito, a 19-year-old Japanese woman, left her home in Japan with her Korean husband and one-year-old daughter to embark on a journey to North Korea. The family had been convinced by promises of a utopian paradise, with abundant resources and opportunities for a better life. However, their arrival in North Korea proved to be a stark contrast to the expectations.
Upon disembarking, Saito was shocked to witness the stark reality of the situation. She observed children without clothing and was informed that items would not be handed over to those without proper identification tags. The promised abundance of food and supplies failed to materialize, as the family was only given food twice a month. They resorted to bartering their belongings for sustenance, often exhausting their supplies within a week.
Saito's husband, despite initial reservations, remained supportive of the move to North Korea. However, he faced health issues, including tuberculosis, which proved difficult to treat due to the scarcity of medicine. Hiroko herself took on his responsibilities, working alongside her husband, while continuing to bear six more children. Her husband's declining health and the worsening economic conditions in North Korea led to her eventual decision to flee the country in 2001.
After enduring 40 years of hardship, starvation, and the tragic loss of her husband and three of her children, Hiroko Saito returned to Japan in 2001, now 85 years old. She now resides in Osaka Prefecture, where she continues to pray for her lost family members, forever haunted by the memories of her life in North Korea.
Written by urgent.news from News On Japan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
