'My Hell Could Not Kill Me': A defector's journey from home and back
In May 2016, Kim Kang-woo, then 21 years old, risked his life crossing North Korea's border into China to defect to South Korea in search of freedom, thinking he might never be able to return to the isolated country ever again. But three years later, in May 2019, he did not hesitate to jump back into the Amnok River — also known as the Yalu River in Chinese — and smuggle himself back into the…
In May of 2016, Kim Kang-woo, who was 21 at the time, made the decision to cross the border between North Korea and China in search of a chance at freedom from the oppressive regime of the former. At the time, he believed that he might never set foot in his homeland again. However, three years later, in May of 2019, Kim did not hesitate to cross the Amnok River, also known as the Yalu River in China, to sneak back into North Korea. His sole purpose was to save his mother from a life of hardship and uncertainty.
Kim revealed that he was aware of the potential consequences of his actions. In South Korea, he could have faced up to five years in prison for his defection. Despite this, he was determined to make a sacrifice for his mother. He explained that his mother had raised him for over 20 years, and sacrificing four or five years of his life in prison seemed like a reasonable trade-off.
In an interview with The Korea Times, Kim shared his story in his first book, titled "My Hell Could Not Kill Me," marking the release of his memoir in June. His journey began when he was born and raised in Ryanggang Province, a border region near China.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- 'My Hell Could Not Kill Me': A defector's journey from home and back koreatimes.co.kr
