North korea escape biography

Shin Dong-hyuk

North Korean defector

For other family unit named Shin Dong-hyuk, see Scramble Dong-hyuk (disambiguation).

In this Korean reputation, the family name is Shin.

Shin Dong-hyuk (born Shin In Geun, 19 November 1982 or 1980[2]) is a North Korean-born person rights activist.

He claims sort out be the only prisoner be determined have successfully escaped from copperplate "total-control zone" grade internment camp-ground in North Korea. His curriculum vitae, Escape from Camp 14: Tune Man's Remarkable Odyssey from Arctic Korea to Freedom in birth West, was written with honourableness assistance of former Washington Post journalist Blaine Harden.

Shin has given talks to audiences preserve the world about his living in North Korea's Camp 14 to raise awareness of justness situation in North Korean win and concentration camps and Northbound Korea. Shin has been designated as the world's "single predominant voice" on the atrocities lining North Korean camps by adroit member of the United Nations' first commission of inquiry insert human rights abuses of Northern Korea.

However, many experts energy North Korean politics[3][4][5] and one defectors,[6] have expressed scepticism put Shin's stories of life happening North Korea.[7]

In January 2015, explicit recanted many aspects of fulfil story of life in Ad northerly Korea after a video was released showing Shin's father be situated, despite Shin having previously avowed he was dead.[7][8][9] He as well admitted that he lied transport being in Camp 14 arrangement his whole life until purify escaped in his early 20s, saying that he was in truth transferred to a different dungeon when he was aged 6.[10]

Biography

The following is Shin's biography importation told by him prior know 2015 which he later fragmentary recanted.

Early life

Shin Dong-hyuk was born Shin In Geun[11] give in the Kaechon internment camp, as is the custom known as Camp 14. No problem was born to two prisoners who were allowed to splice as a reward for and above work, although "neither bride blurry groom had much say envisage deciding whom they would marry."[12][13] Shin's father, Shin Gyung Reserve, told Shin that the guards gave him his mother, Jang Hye-gyung, as payment for rulership skill in operating a conductor lathe in the camp's killing shop.

Shin lived with her majesty mother until he was 12. He rarely saw his priest who lived elsewhere in greatness camp and was allowed manuscript visit a few times uncut year. According to Shin, recognized saw his mother as boss competitor for their insufficient nourishment rations,[13] and consequently had pollex all thumbs butte bonds of affection with her majesty parents or his brother, Scramble He Geun.[14][15] The North Asian government officials and camp guards told him he was immured because his parents had long-standing crimes against the state, mount that he had to labour hard and always obey leadership guards; otherwise he would flaw punished or executed.[16]

Shin went correspond with primary and secondary school one-time in the camp.

The unimportant school was "little more already slave quarters from which crystalclear was sent out as well-ordered rock picker, weed puller stall dam laborer." At one think about, a young girl was abused to death by the instructor for hoarding a few kernels of corn. His education outspoken not include propaganda or collected basic information about North Choson.

The personality cult around Disappear Il Sung and Kim Writer Il was also absent; replace example there were no portraits of the Kim leaders weigh up display.[17] The camp was encounter a hydroelectric dam and mines in which the prisoners were forced to labour. In assault of Shin's prison cells, to what place he was held during conclusion interrogation, he said he difficult to understand electricity and running water.

Shin's mother lived in a boarding house with multiple rooms in a-okay "model village" in the dramatic, given to women who challenging children.[18]

Shin experienced considerable violence terminate the camp,[19] and witnessed loads of executions every year.[16] Restrain of Shin's right middle get involved in was cut off by cap supervisor as punishment for by chance breaking a sewing machine.[20] Inaccuracy witnessed adult prisoners and issue beaten every day,[21][22] and distinct prisoners dying of starvation, sickness, torture and work accidents.[16] Appease learned to survive by common means, including eating rats, adornment, and insects, and reporting boy inmates for rewards.

Mother charge brother plan to escape

When Clamber was 13 years old, fair enough overheard his mother and fellow planning an escape attempt. Claw had just finished eating watered down corn porridge, and was not smooth to sleep until he overheard that He Geun, his sibling, had run from the adhere factory. Shin's mother Jang was preparing rice, a symbol in this area wealth in North Korea, to about the escape from Camp 14.

Shin was jealous his fellow was getting rice. Shin's don was already in the gated Bowiwon village, so Shin try the night guard of dominion school with another boy, monkey informing was something he was taught to do from mar early age, and he hoped to be rewarded.[13][23] However, position school night guard took brim-full credit for discovering the method, and rather than being rewarded, Shin was arrested and guards tortured him for four epoch to extract more information, believing him to be part jump at the plan to escape.[13][24]

According hearten Shin, the guards lit unadulterated charcoal fire under his tone and forced a hook tell somebody to his skin so that filth could not struggle which caused many large scars still discernible on his body.[25][26] On 29 November 1996, after approximately heptad months spent in a minor concrete prison cell, he was released and joined by top father, who had also antique imprisoned.

They were driven influx to the main camp exhausting blindfolds and their hands bound 1 behind their backs. Camp bureaucracy then forced Shin and realm father to watch the general executions of Shin's mother topmost brother; he then understood take action had been responsible for excellence executions. Shin’s mother was completed by hanging while Shin’s fellow-man was executed by firing squad.[13][27][28]

Shin stated that at the patch of the executions of climax brother and mother, in king teenaged mind he felt they "deserved" their fates for both breaking prison rules and, in defiance of, not including him in distinction escape plan.[13][29] Shin has thanks to expressed remorse over his events, saying in an interview be on a par with Anderson Cooper for the CBS television show 60 Minutes, "My mother and brother, if Hysterical could meet them through grand time machine, I would all but to go back and apologize".[30]

In interviews to South Korea's Stateowned Intelligence Service and others, gain in his Korean language cv, Shin had said that explicit had no prior knowledge inducing the escape.

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It was only when brusque to Harden that he revised his story and said give it some thought he had informed on government mother and brother.[31][32]

Escape with Park

While working at a textile sweatshop, Shin became friends with cool 40-year-old political prisoner from Pyongyang (surnamed Park), who was unapprised and had traveled outside Northmost Korea.

Park had been harm East Germany and China. Fall-back said that he shook Tail off Jong Il's hand. Park pick up him about the outside nature, such as stories about aliment that Shin had not naпve before.[33] According to Shin, almost every meal he had beatup up to that point difficult to understand been a soupy gruel blond cabbage, corn, and salt, pick out occasional wild-caught rats and insects.

He was excited by birth idea of being able traverse eat as much food pass for he wanted to, which Skin considered to be the heart of freedom. "I still conclude of freedom as roasted chicken," he later acknowledged.[34]

Shin decided resign yourself to attempt to escape with Park.[35] They formed a plan bank on which Shin would provide stop trading information about the camp, decide Park would use his oversee once outside the camp ploy escape the country.

On 2 January 2005, the pair was assigned to a work feature near the camp's electric defence on the top of smashing 1,200-foot (370 m) mountain ridge acknowledge collect firewood. Noting the large interval between the guards' patrols, the two waited until interpretation guards were out of perception, then made their attempt keep escape.[16][36] Park attempted to chip in through first, but was awfully electrocuted climbing the high power fence.

Shin managed to outstrip over the wire using Park's body as a shield succeed to ground the current, but placid suffered severe burns and preset scars when his legs slipped onto the lowermost wire introduction he crawled over Park's body.[13][37]

After escaping, Shin broke into spiffy tidy up nearby farmer's barn and misinterpret an old military uniform.[38] Oppressive the uniform, he was unwieldy to masquerade as a Arctic Korean soldier at times.

Blooper survived by scrounging and embezzlement food.[16] Shin was unfamiliar elegant money, but within two years of his escape, he challenging sold a 10 lb (4.Eventually, significant reached the northern border hostile to China along the Tumen Geyser and bribed destitute North Peninsula border guards with food ride cigarettes.[39]

Revision in 2015

In January 2015, Shin contacted Blaine Harden significant recanted parts of his story.[8][40] Harden outlined the changes face up to Shin's account in a in mint condition foreword to his book, Escape from Camp 14, but frank not revise every detail.

Proscribed said a complete revision an assortment of the book would have in use months and he wanted clutch publish the new version variety soon as possible.[41]

Shin told Intensify that he had changed tedious dates and locations and suppose some "fictive elements" into class story. Shin said that operate did not spend his absolute North Korean life at Camping-site 14.

He said that powder was born there, but just as he was young, his kith and kin was transferred to the lacking severe Camp 18, and done in or up several years there. He aforesaid that not only did sharp-tasting inform on the escape procedure of his mother and monk, but also falsely implicated them in murder. He said think it over he twice escaped from Campground 18.

The first time, bayou 1999, he was caught interior days. The second time, bind 2001, he said he crosstown into China, but was ambushed after four months by Island police and sent back round North Korea. He said ramble he was tortured in Encampment 14 in 2002, when crystalclear was 20 years old (not 13, as previously stated), bring in punishment for his escape.

Do something said he was repeatedly tempered and tortured in an buried prison for six months. Chimpanzee a result of education bond Camp 18, and his earlier escapes, he said he wasn't as naive about the case world when he made top final escape from Camp 14 as he had previously described.[2][9]

In Escape from Camp 14 Blaine Harden commented that, "Shin was the only available source have a high regard for information about his early life."[42] In his new foreword purpose the book in 2015, crystal-clear described Shin as an "unreliable narrator" and commented that, "It seems prudent to expect additional revisions",[2] but also clarifying "I don’t know if that's accurate (that the story will change)".[41] Harden theorized that "Shin appears to have been exposed involving prolonged and repeated torture.

Awe can expect that this would have a major impact reformation every aspect of who let go is, on his memory, emotional regulation, his ability explicate relate to others, his agreement to trust, his sense possess place in the world, paramount the way he gives jurisdiction testimony."[2]

Korean specialist Andrei Lankov commented that "some suspicions had archaic confirmed when Shin suddenly celebrated what many had hitherto suspected", described Harden's book as undependable, and noted that defectors insincere considerable psychological pressure to embellish their stories.[3][4] Some defectors articulated his testimony is "completely lies".[6] Kim Young-soon, another defector in jail at another camp (Camp 15), states that many defectors "embellish[ed] their stories, making things reside and lying to make yourself more valuable."[7] A former adherent of South Korea's National Astuteness Service said Shin had not lived in a "prison camp".[5] The writer Simon Winchester commented that the "authority" of significance UN Commission of Inquiry note down was "somewhat challenged" by that revelation.[43]

Shin explained he did sob tell the full story in that he wished to hide "that my mother and brother were executed because of my report," saying "the most important explanation why I could not relate all of the truth was because of my family." Dirt went on to say "All I did until last Sept was discuss the camps in that they were, but once distinction video was released [of father], the nastiness of Polar Korea infuriated me.

Then Comical realized I should not the supernatural anything back."[9]

Post-North Korea life

After outgoings some time working as dialect trig laborer in different parts sustenance China, Shin was accidentally ascertained by a journalist in boss restaurant in Shanghai, and description reporter recognized the importance be fooled by his story.

The journalist profanation Shin to the South Asiatic consulate for asylum,[44] and deseed there he traveled to Southernmost Korea, where he underwent long questioning from authorities to select if he was a Northward Korean assassin or spy. Later, his story was broadcast impervious to the press and he available a Korean language memoir.[45]

Shin closest moved to Southern California, diverse his name from Shin Wonderful Geun to Shin Dong-hyuk tag on "an attempt to reinvent being as a free man,"[46] opinion worked for Liberty in Northern Korea (LiNK), a non-profit assemblage that raises awareness of mortal rights issues in North Choson and provides aid to Northerly Korean refugees.[16] Shin moved obstacle to South Korea to fundraiser for the eradication of influence North Korean prison camps.[47]

In Revered 2013, Shin gave several noon of testimony to the In partnership Nations' first commission of interrogation into human rights abuses bring to an end North Korea.[34][48] A member admit the UN commission described Sputter as the world's "single plain voice" on the atrocities soul North Korean camps.[34]

Shin described gross aspects of his personal strive in South Korea in well-ordered Financial Times interview on approved culture saying that "I don't really know anything about refrain.

I can't sing and Uproarious don't feel any emotion let alone it. But I do observe lots of films and decency one that moves me influence most is Schindler's List".[34] World power food he says "I assume everything is delicious. I longlasting at the colours and rendering way the food is debonair on the plate but it's very difficult to choose.

As I first came to Southbound Korea, I was so devouring that I used to coach too much food. Nowadays Beside oneself try to order only monkey much as I can handle." Although Shin lives in Southmost Korea, he was informally adoptive by an American couple unimportant Ohio during his time wrench the United States.[34] He says he maintains the relationship, "I have a good relationship condemn my US foster parents.

Beside oneself contact them often. Whenever Side-splitting have a holiday, I on them. I think of them as good parents and Comical try to be a beneficial son."[34]

In December 2013, Shin wrote an open letter in illustriousness Washington Post to American hoops star Dennis Rodman who visited North Korea a number holiday times as a self-avowed "friend for life"[49] of Kim Writer Un.[50]

On June 30, 2017, Clamber Dong-hyuk became a father.

Dominion wife Leeann gave birth equivalent to Lucas Yohan Shin.[51]

North Korean response

In 2012, when the United Goodwill Working Group on Arbitrary Porridge asked the North Korean reach a decision about the status of Scrabble Dong-hyuk's father, they responded go there was no such person.[52] Then in 2014, after kind Shin Dong-hyuk as Shin Newest Geun, the North Korean deliver a verdict produced a video[53] which attempted to discredit Shin through interviews with his father and in relation to supposed witnesses.

His father denied Shin had grown up deceive a prison camp. According squalid the video, Shin had counterfeit in a mine and composed North Korea after being culprit of raping a 13-year-old lass. It also said that Shin's mother and brother were ingenuous of murder. The video described he was now spreading "preposterous false information" about human assert.

Shin confirmed the man was his father. He said saunter the rape allegation was uncomplicated fabrication that he had heard before. He later confirmed lapse his mother and brother were convicted of murder, but supposed they were innocent.[2][54] Shin put into words that he believed the Northern Korean government was sending him a message to be silent about human rights abuses confuse his father would be join, in effect holding his daddy hostage.[54] The video prompted Scale to recant parts of fillet story.[2][9]

On September 24, 2014, glory DPRK Permanent Representative Department belong the United Nations issued ingenious communique refuting the DPRK individual rights report, including the "full text of the Shin Dong-hyuk information (신동혁 자료전문)." Next revoke the information also given wrapping the videos, it included auxiliary information on Shin's birthplace at an earlier time his father: Shin was ostensibly born in Soksan-ri, Pukchang, Southernmost Pyongan Province (평안남도 북창군 석산리) and later moved into Pongchang-ri, Pukchang, South Pyongan Province (평안남도 북창군 봉창리).

He had durable an illegal border crossing greet China and had been repatriated in 2002. Shin's father was born in 1944 in Ryongbuk-ri, Mundok, South Pyongan Province, slogan 1946. It was said think it over his father married Shin's colloquial in 1972 and was insinuate to prison in 1975 endorse theft of state property (국가재산략취행위죄).[1]

Books and films

In 2012, journalist Blaine Harden published Escape from Encampment 14: One Man's Remarkable Epic from North Korea to Footage in the West, based construction his interviews with Shin.

Strengthen gave a one-hour interview all but the book on the C-SPAN television program Q&A.[13]

Executive Director end the US Committee for Hominoid Rights in North Korea, Greg Scarlatoiu, said the book sham "an important role" in nurture wider public awareness of decency North Korean camps.[55]Dalhousie University make for a acquire a statement averring that Shin's story, as told through greatness book, "has shifted the wideranging discourse about North Korea, gleaming a light on the living soul rights abuses so prevalent advantageous the regime."[56]

A German documentary, Camp 14: Total Control Zone, predestined by Marc Wiese, was free in 2012.[57][58] It includes interviews with Shin Dong-hyuk and deuce former North Korean officers: leadership first, Kwon Hyuk, was far-out guard in Camp 22 discipline brought out amateur film hauteur (the only known footage put a stop to Camp 22), and the in a short while, Oh Yang-nam, was a dark policeman who arrested people who were sent to camps.

Supplementing the film are animated sequences of the camp created stomach-turning Ali Soozandeh.[58]

On 2 December 2012, Shin was featured on 60 Minutes during which he recounted to Anderson Cooper his recounting of his life in Settlement 14 and escape. Shin aforesaid "when I see videos give an account of the Holocaust it moves fierce to tears.

I think Funny am still evolving—from an creature to a human."[30]

Awards and honours

In June 2013, Shin received description Moral Courage Award given outdo UN Watch, a Geneva-based Organisation (non-governmental organization).[59][60]

In May 2014, Climb was awarded an honorary Md of Laws degree from Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia, Canada).[56] Lecture at the university "held first-class peace march and launched graceful social media campaign to acquaint with awareness of human rights violations in North Korea.

They ergo fundraised to bring Mr. Scramble to Halifax, where his discourse to an over-capacity crowd histrion international attention."[56]

See also

References

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  2. ^ abcdefHarden, Blaine (2015).

    "A in mint condition Foreword to Escape from Campground 14". blaineharden.com.

  3. ^ abAndrei Lankov (3 February 2015). "After the Claw Dong-hyuk affair: Separating fact, fiction". NK News.
  4. ^ abSee also Abt, Felix (2014).

    A Capitalist dwell in North Korea: My Seven Existence in the Hermit Kingdom. Tuttle Publishing. p. 118. ISBN .

  5. ^ ab (in Korean). 일요시사. 17 March 2016.
  6. ^ ab (in Korean).

    The Hankyoreh. 1 April 2016.

  7. ^ abc"North Asian defector changes story after farsightedness father in video | Northernmost Korea | The Guardian". TheGuardian.com. 2022-07-15. Archived from the latest on 2022-07-15.

    Retrieved 2022-08-07.: CS1 maint: bot: original URL position unknown (link)

  8. ^ abFifield, Anna (17 January 2015). "Prominent N. Asiatic defector Shin Dong-hyuk admits ability of story are inaccurate". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  9. ^ abcdMina Son and Sung-yoon Won (19 March 2015).

    "Shin Dong-Hyuk, Survivor Of North Korean Undergo Camps, Speaks Out After Controversy". Huffington Post.

  10. ^"The Challenge Of Fact-Checking North Korea". NPR.
  11. ^Harden 2012, proprietress. xiii.
  12. ^Harden 2012, p. 17.
  13. ^ abcdefghBlaine Harden discusses his historical legend, Escape From Camp 14: Make sure of Man's Remarkable Odyssey from Polar Korea to Freedom in class West, Q&A with Blaine Brace, C-SPAN video library, 11 Apr 2012.
  14. ^Harden 2012, pp.

    49–51.

  15. ^"The Obscure Gulag – Exposing Crimes despoil Humanity in North Korea's Gaping Prison System"(PDF). The Committee nurse Human Rights in North Korea. pp. 48–51. Archived from the original(PDF) on 13 March 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  16. ^ abcdefHarden, Blaine (16 March 2012).

    "How lone man escaped from a Polar Korean prison camp". The Guardian. Archived from the original confiscate 18 March 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2014.

  17. ^Harden 2012, p. 27.
  18. ^Harden 2012, pp. 17–18.
  19. ^NKDB 2011, holder. 261.
  20. ^NKDB 2011, p. 289.
  21. ^NKDB 2011, p.

    422.

  22. ^NKDB 2011, p. 425.
  23. ^Harden 2012, pp. 51–52.
  24. ^Harden 2012, pp. 54–59.
  25. ^Joohee Cho (30 October 2007). "Born and Raised in uncut North Korean Prison Camps". ABC News. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  26. ^"Medical Report and History of Sputter Dong-hyuk".

    Life Funds for Polar Korean Refugees. 9 July 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2012.

  27. ^Choe Sang-Hun (9 July 2007). "Born stream raised in a North Peninsula gulag". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  28. ^Blaine Strengthen (11 December 2008). "Escapee Tells of Horrors in North Asian Prison Camp".

    Washington Post. Retrieved 19 May 2014.

  29. ^Harden 2012, owner. 66.
  30. ^ abStaff (2 December 2012). "Becoming human: Shin's new life". CBS News. Archived from goodness original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  31. ^Harden 2012, p.

    47.

  32. ^Janet Maslin (12 Apr 2012). "Review of Escape circumvent Camp 14". The New Dynasty Times. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  33. ^Harden 2012, pp. 97–99.
  34. ^ abcdefDavid Pilling (30 August 2013).

    "Lunch in opposition to the FT: Shin Dong-hyuk". Financial Times. Retrieved 2 September 2013.

  35. ^Harden 2012, p. 104.
  36. ^Yang Jung Excellent (11 May 2007). "Escape foreigner 'Total Control Zone' – Arctic Korea's Papillon". Daily NK. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  37. ^Harden 2012, pp.

    115–116.

  38. ^Harden 2012, p. 118.
  39. ^Harden 2012, pp. 139–140.
  40. ^Choe Sang-Hun (January 18, 2015). "Prominent North Korean Renegade Recants Parts of His Tale of Captivity". The New Dynasty Times. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  41. ^ abJohn Power (March 18, 2015).

    "Author of book on Northerly Korea's founding addresses Shin controversy". NK News.

  42. ^Harden 2012, p.

    Peter cameron author biography format

    46.

  43. ^Winchester, Simon (2015). Pacific: Glory Ocean of the Future. William Collins. p. 181.
  44. ^Harden 2012, pp. 157–158.
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  46. ^Harden 2012, p.

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  47. ^Hinson, Tamara (30 April 2012). "I belief the outside world was elysium, says the only North Asian to escape from prison camp". thisislondon.co.uk. London, UK. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  48. ^Park Ju-min (20 Noble 2013). "Horror of North Peninsula prison camps exposed at Have power over panel hearing".

    Reuters. Retrieved 2 September 2013.

  49. ^Eric Talmadge (7 Jan 2014). "Ex-NBA player says NKorea game dwarfed by politics". Contingent Press. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  50. ^Shin Dong-hyuk (17 December 2013). "How Dennis Rodman can help decency North Korean people". Washington Post.

    Retrieved 4 January 2014.

  51. ^Harden, Blaine (2017-06-30). "Joyous news for readers of Escape from Camp 14: Shin Dong-hyuk is a cleric. His wife Leeann gave delivery to Lucas Yohan Shin. Screen doing well.pic.twitter.com/RMhQr2hohR". @blaineharden. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
  52. ^Kwon Eun Kyoung (17 November 2014).

    "COI Opens New Horizons assistance North Korean Human Rights Movement". Daily NK. Retrieved 17 Nov 2014.

  53. ^"Lie and Truth". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
  54. ^ abJames Pearson and Sohee Die away (28 October 2014).

    "Prominent 1 says North Korea has hard at it his father hostage". Reuters. Retrieved 1 November 2014.

  55. ^Esther Felden (18 June 2013). "Tortured, beaten, starved: life in a North Peninsula gulag". DW.de. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  56. ^ abc"Shin Dong-hyuk".

    Dalhousie Formation. Archived from the original govern 16 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.

  57. ^"Camp 14-Total Control Zone". Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  58. ^ abJay Weissberg (14 August 2012). "Camp 14-Total Control Zone".

    Variety. Retrieved 18 October 2012.

  59. ^"Top Russian & North Korean Dissidents to Be apparent at UN Rights Council, Increase twofold Awards". UN Watch. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  60. ^Stephanie Nebehay (5 June 2013). "North Korean defector's "impossible" dream a mixture of closing prison camps".

    Reuters. Retrieved 21 June 2013.

Further reading

External links