In Blaine Harden’s book, he recounts a Korean man’s escape from a North Korean prison camp to freedom in the west. The former prisoner, Shin In Geun, is the first man known to have successfully escaped from a North Korean "total-control zone" grade internment camp. In this book, Harden captures Shin’s difficult past while in the camp to his freedom afterward as an adult. Born in the prison camp, Shin had never experienced life outside of the treacherous conditions he faced on a daily basis. From birth, he was taught that he would have to work very hard every day of his life in attempt to wash away his family’s sins.
The guards in the camp were ruthless to all prisoners, including children. At the age of six, Shin witnessed his schoolteacher, who was also a guard, violently stab one of his classmates to death with a wooden pointer for stealing four extra kernels of corn. At the time, Shin thought nothing of this because of the constant brutality that he was exposed to. Shin learned to survive by snitching on those around him, even his family members.
When Shin was about 12 years old, he overheard his mother and his brother talking about planning a possible escape from the camp. Shin, having learned …show more content…
There he met a different man that had also been exposed to the outside world before losing his freedom and being placed in the prison camp. This man, Park, was worldlier than the first man Shin met in the underground prison. Park had spent time in the United States of America and in South Korea. He told Shin about the ways of the world and about Shin’s favorite – foods throughout the world. Park’s stories inspired Shin to dream about life outside of the internment camp. The two devised a plan to escape together. When the perfect opportunity came, the two men would get over the electric fence and make their way to
The guards in the camp were ruthless to all prisoners, including children. At the age of six, Shin witnessed his schoolteacher, who was also a guard, violently stab one of his classmates to death with a wooden pointer for stealing four extra kernels of corn. At the time, Shin thought nothing of this because of the constant brutality that he was exposed to. Shin learned to survive by snitching on those around him, even his family members.
When Shin was about 12 years old, he overheard his mother and his brother talking about planning a possible escape from the camp. Shin, having learned …show more content…
There he met a different man that had also been exposed to the outside world before losing his freedom and being placed in the prison camp. This man, Park, was worldlier than the first man Shin met in the underground prison. Park had spent time in the United States of America and in South Korea. He told Shin about the ways of the world and about Shin’s favorite – foods throughout the world. Park’s stories inspired Shin to dream about life outside of the internment camp. The two devised a plan to escape together. When the perfect opportunity came, the two men would get over the electric fence and make their way to