Escape from North Korea

The DPRK’s ongoing antics are allegedly aimed at ensuring against an attack from the US, but I highly doubt it. In fact, it is more likely that North Korea’s leaders have no clue on how to navigate their country in today’s world. As a matter of fact, they haven’t had a clue since the Korean War ended.

It’s sad when you think about the average North Korean’s situation. No food, no electricity, no freedom, no life (at least not from a Westerner’s point-of-view). They are oppressed, abused, and taken for granted, and nothing the “Great Leader” does serves to benefit the people.

During the 1970’s and 1980’s the North began kidnapping South Koreans, Japanese, and other foreigners, in an attempt to learn about life in these other countries, in an effort to create a spy network.

I’m not sure they ever got anything worthtwhile out of this endeavour, but I am positive those abducted had and are having a hell-of-a-time, living under that regime. That’s why it’s nice to hear stories about those that do make it out, alive.

The latest to do so, according to several media outlets is a South Korean fisherman who escaped North Korea to China after 31 years of captivity. The Korea Herald today, wrote that “Choi Uk-il, 67, arrived at Incheon International Airport in the afternoon and reunited with his wife Yang Young-ja, 66, and family members.”

They go on to write, “Choi was one of 33 fishermen kidnapped in 1975 while fishing in the East Sea. He escaped the North at the end of last year and had stayed in a hideaway in Yenji, northeastern China.”

A similar BBC News story noted that “South Korea believes 485 of its citizens have been kidnapped by the North since the Korean War ended in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty, in 1953.” Of course, the North denies all of this and claims they want to be there. Yeah right!

Considering that the “abductee issue” is a big thing in Japan (DPRK kidnapped Japanese people in the 70’s and 80’s), maybe both South Korea and Japan should work together at finding all of their citizens.

The results may be more positive for the families of the victims.