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Published Aug 21, 2018

84: Charles Ryu | Confessions of a North Korean Escape Artist Part One

Charles Ryu, the "Fresh Prince of Pyongyang," narrates his gripping escape from North Korea, detailing the unimaginable challenges and cultural shocks of defecting, from surviving brutal camps to experiencing freedom abroad, showcasing the resilience of the human spirit against oppression.
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  • First Escape

    recounts his first attempt to escape North Korea, a journey fraught with danger and deception. At just 14, he was guided by a broker and bribed guards to cross the Yalu River into China, where he hoped to reunite with his father 1. Despite the perilous nature of the escape, Charles was driven by the desire to experience a life beyond the oppressive regime he had known. He recalls the surreal experience of seeing a banana for the first time, a moment that highlighted the stark contrast between his life in North Korea and the world beyond 2.

    I picked that up, I bite it off. I just tried it with a peel on. And my dad is laughing his ass off, like “You shouldn't supposed to eat like this. You peel it off.”

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    This escape was orchestrated by his father, who was in China, and involved intricate planning and the help of his step-brother 3.

       

    Labor Camps

    After being captured in China, Charles faced the harsh realities of labor camps, where survival was a daily struggle. He was detained in a center for North Korean defectors, enduring grueling work and minimal food, which left him emaciated and weak 4. The camps were designed to break the spirit of detainees through relentless labor and brainwashing, with Charles often forced to recite camp rules under threat of punishment 5.

    I was only allowed to eat 150 kernels of corn a day. And I started to lose weight and I could see my rib cage.

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    Despite the oppressive conditions, he remained determined to survive and eventually escape again, driven by the hope of freedom 6.

       

    Final Escape

    Charles's final escape from North Korea was a testament to his resilience and ingenuity. Despite the constant threat of death if caught, he was determined to flee the labor camp and seek freedom once more 7. The coal mines, where he worked for rice, became a place of planning and reflection, as he recalled the taste of freedom he had briefly experienced in China 8.

    I'm going to get the hell out of here, and I'm going to escape again. I'm going to escape, I'll die trying again.

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    His entrepreneurial spirit, selling rice for money, fueled his escape plans, as he weighed the risks of staying against the hope of a better life 8.

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