Jauwena 1

Creative Writing Project

English 10 A
Mrs. French
22 September 2015
Escaping Hell on Earth
A BBC Documentary interview with Kim Gyeong-Suk, a 30 year-old North Korean
defector and believer who escaped from a labor camp.

Hannam-dong Apartment, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea,

18 August 2013.
I could not believe that Im going to talk about this. It was because of my father who
possessed a Bible that I up until now thought was a regime-opposing doctrine. I didnt
know where he got it from, but now I suspect that it came in through illegal smuggling. It was
on Wednesday, and I was still sixteen, when the front door was banged ferociously. The state
police came and raided our house, and it was just a matter of minutes until they eventually
found my fathers Bible. My family and I were soon rushed outside the house, handcuffed,
and forced to sit inside a medium-sized truck with our eyes covered.
Although I could not see, I heard the opening of a fence. As my eyes were uncovered,
I was in this long hallway filled with cells with iron gates. I have to sit to fit inside and I only
have five centimeters of space above my head. The smell was loathsome it was a
combination of rotten flesh, blood, and feces.
The camp guards were atrocious monsters. I was worked to death as I pull carts in
coal mining fields. The work continued from dawn to night, and soon my palm had sores and
scratches. Just beside me were those devilish guards beating those who start to tire, including

Jauwena 2
myself. I had bruises and open wounds all over my body, and I could not properly sit because
the wounds were scratching on the floor, oozing out more blood.
Nevertheless, the worst thing was that food was extremely scarce; the guards only
gave us boiled corn seeds and beans, which still contain dust and stones. The people I met
looked like walking skeletons attached to a thin layer of skin. Their hipbones and ribcages
were like protrusions trying to burst out, and soon the same thing occurred to me. I was so
desperate for food that I try to eat everything crawling or wiggling on the ground. Rats and
frogs became delicious meals, and they were eaten raw. That camp is truly hell on Earth.
I became used to executions. It occurs so commonly that your perception of a human
life is completely changed; life is worthless, meaningless. Sometimes, participating in some
is mandatory, unless you dont want your life be spared. After beating or throwing victims
with stones, inmates were to again labor forthwith.
One night, while I cried in desperation and agony in my 90cm-tall cell, I caught a
glimpse of hope. If only I stupidly thought I can get past the fences, I may get a chance to
live a better life outside this beastly camp, this beastly country. It turns out that Yoon Ji-Sang,
one of the inmates imprisoned in a cell two doors away from mine, thought of the same idea.
Three days later, I managed to sneak away during night labor. It was dark and the lights were
dimmer than usual. I weaved through inmates as soon as the guards turn their faces away. The
stacks of hay and the numerous amounts of buildings serve as my hiding spots from the
cameras. It must have been the luckiest day of my life. Ji-Sang followed me as I ran to the
backside of the camp complex, where a four-meter barbed fence stood like an imposing giant.
You can hear the electricity moving across the fences, and there were intervals between jolts.
When the vibration stopped, I began to climb, frantically grasping the crisscrossed fence. I
forced myself to go underneath the barbed wires. It tore the flesh of my hips, but in the urge
to survival, I didnt feel any noticeable pain. Ji-Sang was still behind me, panicking in

Jauwena 3
deciding whether or not he should climb considering the coming of the next wave of
electricity.
Heres the mistake that I will always remember; I left him behind. I know that sooner
or later, whether or not we escaped out of sight, those guards will search for us. Fear
consumed me, and I ran across the soil and went deep into the forests. To my surprise, I came
across a group of defectors, who generously gave me clothing and food. Together, we strode
across the mountains. We hid behind bushes and covered our faces with mud or animal
droppings to camouflage from patrols. For around two weeks we wandered, but and I thank
God we arrived at the Tumen River that separates China and North Korea. The water was
shallow in that hot summer day. I crossed it with all my might, forcing my painful legs to
move.
Cheng Wei, a benevolent Chinese pastor, allowed me and the other defectors to
temporarily stay in his house. I was shocked that Pastor Wei had not just one, but two Bibles
blatantly seeable on top his dining table; yet, he was not arrested. Through him, I learned
about the world outside North Korea, and more importantly, I learned about Jesus Christ. I
could not comprehend why someone like my father would risk his life to protect his faith in
Jesus. What kind of man is this Jesus? I asked myself. As Pastor Wei began teaching me
about Christianity, I began to accept Jesus as my Savior and Protector during my life in the
camps. Still, I felt guilty for risking Ji-Sangs life to save mine. For the first time in years, I
value human life. However, through the blood of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His life to save
mine, I believe that all my sins are cleansed.
Long story short, I avoided the Chinese police and continued my journey to Laos. I
was granted a flight to South Korea. May my testimony be a catalyst to increase awareness
among Western countries regarding Christian persecution and inhumane tortures currently
happening in North Korea.

Jauwena 4
Works Cited
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/life-north-korean-labor-camp-no-thinking-justfear-n32076
http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-find-innovative-ways-to-smugglegospel-into-n-korea-27134/
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/sep/19/north-korea-prison-camp-14documentary