1. Start of despair
Her name is Yumi Lee.
She runs a youtube channel with stories about escaping from North Korea.

She uploaded a video to memorize the story of escaping from North Korea.

She had suffered in the nation and had watched much of people died in front of her and she also had experienced many dangers of death.
She think she should live well when she remembered those days.

She was born in Hyesan at very north of North Korea where is near by border between North Korea and China.
Her father was a member of Communist Party, so she was not that poor.
But one day she was told that her father was arrested by police. He was prisoned because trees for Kim il-sung vice president of North Korea had burned. It was not his fault but his teams fault.
She would never forget her father's look when he was free.
He had so tortured that his belly was very swollen as if he is a pregnant. His liver was ruined that his belly was full of water from liver.
He was free because he was almost dead that police didn't want to handle his dead body.
However he was so glad he can see his family again.
He told her that if I can live more, I want to go to South Korea with you all. 
She was so shocked cause she knew he always gave his loyal to the party.
He said you should go to South Korea if you can.
He died a month later.

After he died, her family banned from her house and forced to go to the coldest place. And the police didn't give any house to her family. How could she live like that?
She and her family ran away to her cousin's house.

She decided to be a merchant to live.
One day the truck she rode on tripped and rolled.
In that accident only she was hurted, and she was told that she can't use her body under waist.
It was 1999 when her father was dead and she hurted.

2. The first escape and send back to NK
She didn't want to live because she couldn't immagine her life without healthy body. It was so hard to live through with even a healthy body.
The NK's hospital didn't give any cures. The hospital only gave her a bed. Fortunately, her tose can move a little after 3 months. It was a only hope that listening South Korea's radio broadcast during her recovering.
When she was completely recovered, she decided to go to China to sell ginseng. 

She got a taxi to contact the buyer. The Chinese taxi driver talk to her some words but she could't understand at all cause she can't speak chinese. The taxi driver went to China Police Bureau(PSB) directly and she was caught.
She was so despaired. Her family was once a member of party. But now, her father was dead, all of us banned from home, I survived from serious wound, and I just wanted to eat and live. How can it be like this?

In the PSB office, there was a lot of people who was sended back to NK. A young woman from Hamheung told her that if you help me, I can help you to get a job in China.
She was free first, and she struggled to free Hamheung girl and at last she was free to go.

3. Naked body check
Her mother never objected to escape from NK.
"There is no hope in this country, you should go out if you can." She said.
She and Hamheung girl crossed a river to go to china.
It was very night and dark and river is too deep.
Her mother saw them drown to the river and she thought her girl was dead. Her mother cried out loud all night long in there. Then next morning she was relieved that she saw her daughter's clothes on the bank. It was evidence of her life. People who crossed the river always change their clothes to dry one.

She and Hamheung girl reached a telephone and the girl called her husband in China. Her husband promissed her to come to get her but the next day the betrayed her and ran away from her. It was too dangerous to escape with an extra person so the girl and husband seemed to decide to leave her.
She got a taxi to get to Yanji but she got caught by PSB second time.
In the NK's police office, there was a body check to find out hidden stuffs. There is no exception of the body check even a baby. The baby's mother cried like how dare you check my baby. I can't hide stuffs in my baby. But police officers stripped the baby of his clothes in front of her mother.
The body check was so shameful to every woman.

There was a elder woman in that jail and she offered her same thing as Hamheung girl.

4. The way a woman save her money 

The elder woman offered yumi that if yumi save her, she'll introduce a good job in china. Then yumi help her to out of jail, then they went to china again.

They got a taxi to go to a city cause her husband in china refuse to take her. But the woman and taxi driver started to argue, yumi didn't know why.

Soon the taxi pulled up at a PSB office and they got caught again. The taxi driver noticed that they were definately North Korean and he called the public security, so they argued. They were sent to NK again. (3rd time)

Yumi had some money her mother gave. It was 40 dollars. If she was sent to NK, police'll get her money. She wanted to protect her money. The elder woman said "You'll definately be confiscated by police. If you give the money, I'll save the money whatever it takes." Then she hide the money in her womb. 

However police was severe. They made the prisoner to sit down and stand up repeatedly forever, at last the money came out of her body. They got the money and hit her severly. Finally they took apart. 

When yumi finally got into SK, she heard that the woman and her daughter also succeed to get into SK.

5. Yumi got a job in China 

Yumi's mother told her to stop going to China after she go caught and sent back to NK three times in a month. 

"Why you always got caught while other people don't.  You better not go to China after all.". Her mother said.

So she made up her mind to never go to China again. But she can't bear it that longer. She already saw that China's street lights and nice foods, she'll never forget that good country and she didn't have any idea of living in NK. 

She had been living in riverside, so that she could get across the river easily. The only problem was pass the first checkpoint of public security.

This time, she chose lunchtime to pass the checkpoint and she succeeded. She arrived at Yanji but she knew nobody, she didn't have any money, she didn't know what to do. But she had to get a job. Fortunately she finally got knew an acquaintance runs a restaurant in Yanji. She got a job in that restaurant.

But the restaurant had no guests while the other restaurant had many guests. So yumi went out and led guests to the restaurant positively.

The restaurant got very well soon because yumi's efforts and skills were great. However other restaurants around her thought they were stolen their guest and they call the public security, then yumi go caught by P.S. again. (the 4th time)

6. Doom of who was attempted to escape to S.K. 

She got into a jail, and there were so many people in that jail. It was a special jail for people who attempted to escape from N.K.

Yumi met a elder woman who attempt to escape to S.K. The woman entered a german international school in China and asked to send her to consulate of South Korea but the head of the school called P.S. She got tortured very severely because China police informed that she attempted to go to S.K.

To go to S.K. never forgiven.

The woman looked so scrawny and thin, she said to yumi "I want to see my mother" and she never got to wake up in forever.

7. Yumi ran away from Human trafficker

Yumi was released after all. And of course she was trying to escape again. 

Once North Korean experianced out world, he will never forget it. And he can't live in his mother land.

Yumi almost drown when she was crossing the river.  When she struggled to the river bank, a man appeared and said he'll help her.

He help her to climb up the bank and she follow the man to his house in China. She asked the man to help her but he refused.

"I'll help you after I sell you out. otherwise I'll call P.S.". he said.

She agreed to sell herself and she thought she'll manage to escape. 

The Human traffickers sell women to unmarried old men in country as a bride. The man took her to Yanji.

The man sold her for 430 dollars to an old man. The old man and his family never gave her a chance to escape. She regretted her silly decision.

When she was forced to get on a bus, she whispered a man in front of her. She told him that I was in danger of selling my body, please call P.S. for me.

He said OK and he got off the bus immediately. And police car arrived at the time the bus just about to leave.

When she saw the police, she regetted again. She thought that what if I can escape from him by myself?

Finally she was sent back to N.K. (5th time)

8. China again 

Yumi was released from N.K.'s jail after she gave a bribe to a warder. She could be released not only because of the bribe, but she also told a good story of excuse. She told that she hurt her spine by traffic accident and so she had to go to a hopital in China. But the hospital fare was very expensive, so I had to work to pay the hospital fare. The story was so impressive and it worked, then she was released.

She got crossed the river and got to China again. And this time, she got a bus and took the front seat. She knew that Public Security policeman always check people who seated back of the bus because she saw that when she got caught by traffickers. The bus took her to Yanji.

She got a job of waiter at a restaurant. She wanted to meet any south korean at there, but she never met any. 

That's why the restaurant cooked meat of dog, but south korean didn't go to that kind of restaurant and she didn't know that.

Yumi worked hard and got a first pay after a month. She was really happy and she went shopping to open market. In that place, she met a elder woman who had seen at NK's jail. They were very glad to meet again, and yumi invited her to the restaurant.

But all of a sudden, chinese policeman went to the restaurant and asked them passport. Then they were arrested.

The elder woman blamed yumi so much. She said she was arrested because yumi invited her and she'll be die if she was sent to NK.

9. To try escape 

It was the 6th time she was sent to N.K. They were imprisoned. 

They were supposed to be send to prison of their home land. They planned escaping operation while they were sent. Yumi didn't agree that plan because the plan was dangerous and easy to fail. But the elder woman tried to escape and failed. The woman had beaten so hard that yumi couldn't recognize her face well. Yumi and the woman parted in that time, but they ended up meeting later in S.K. When yumi met the woman, she was so glad to meet her. But the woman blamed her again. She said "I hate you forever. I got caught because of you. and I was very suffed. I never want to see you again."

When yumi got home, her mother told her to never go to China. She said yumi got caught so often, you'll never go to S.K. 

Yumi thought her mother was right, and she made up her mind to stay home land. But she couldn't help herself again.

She dreamed of China's unstarving life and she was longing for S.K. She saw a TV show of S.K. and she wept and made up her mind to go to S.K. and I'll see the last episode of the TV show. At last yumi convinced her mother to agree to go out again.

10. Yumi wanted to meet South Korean.

There was an issue of North Korean people who attemted to enter to China. A human trafficker took the North Koreans above a bus to avoid checking passport at the check point of P.S.B. The weather was so cold that two North Koreans were dead of cold.

Because of that, the check system got harder than usual. Somebody told her that she never try to pass check point directly. He said she have to get off the taxi in advance and go around the check point along the mountain path. She thought he was right and she did what he told.

When she got off the taxi and was trying to find mountain path, a car was approaching her, and some soldiers got off and asked her to show them passport.

Then she was arrested at that place. (The 7th time)

In the jail of china, she met another North Korean woman. Then woman was vomiting blood. Yumi asked her why and she said she had a TB(Tuberculosis). She was so concerned if she'll die when she got North Korea's jail. Yumi had an good idea and told her to say a great excuse.

And she told warder that she had a TB and she had to go to hospital. and it worked again, she was free in three days.

And Yumi went out again as soon as she was released. When she got China again, she ran into the woman who had TB. She thanked so much to yumi.

She promissed yumi to give a job. But very next morning, she offered yumi to go to human trafficker.

She said once yumi was sold, she give her a job. Yumi didn't want to be sold, but she didn't have any other plan. So yumi agreed and asked her to help her to escape after she was sold. Her husband was a human trafficker. But she and her husband betrayed yumi, they sold her to another broker and leaved her.

Fortunately the broker was North Korean, and the broker help yumi to escape.  

Yumi went to Tianjin because she heard that many South Korean lived in there. She got a waiter job at a restaurant.

One day a man confessed love to yumi. 

11. Call to South Korea

All yumi wanted to do was to go to South Korea. So she didn't want to go out with any guy. She refused him. Then the man told her to not refuse him.

He said he already knew she is North Korean and if yumi refuse him, he'll call P.S. 

Yumi thought he was drunken, he wouldn't call P.S. But very next morning, policemen really arrived and arrested her.

In the jail of P.S.B., yumi met a girl from North Korea. Her name was HanYumi and she was arrested too. When she met an another person from North Korea in the jail, she always felt glad.

Yumi always thought of escaping. Yumi shouted at a guard that she had to go to the toilet that night. The guard was sleeping when she yelled, then the guard opened the door and went to sleep again.  Yumi didn't know if he let go of her on purpose or not. But it was the only chance to escape.

Yumi and HanYumi went out with all their might as fast as they could. They made it and they were on the street of Tianjin Chian.

Yumi was depressed that there was no place to go and rest. Every place she went was always dangerous. 

Suddenly, HanYumi offered her to go to South Korea. To say to escape to South Korea was very dangerous thing ever because if she report to the police, she'll excuted. That means Hanyumi belived yumi. Yumi was very excited about the offer. Of course, she accepted the offer.

HanYumi's grandmother was in S.K. and her plan was to call the grandmother and ask her to help them to go to S.K. 

However they didn't have any money or coin to use a phone. Soon they went in to any Karaoke parlour, and asked them to hire and it worked. The master made her sing a song, and a guest gave her a tip. Yumi made money to call.

Next morning, HanYumi made a call to her grandmother. Her grandmother was so glad to hear her grand-daughter and she promissed she'll send broker to accompany to South Korea. However it'll take some days, they had to wait. 

They got a job selling clothes. While they were working, they waited and waited a call from grandmother. Finally grandmother called them, she told them to wait for just a few hours and a broker will be there soon. They were very happy, and they went out from the clothes shop without any inform. They were afraid of getting stuck in the shop.

Finally they'll make it after a few hours. Yumi offered HanYumi to say good bye to the master of clothes shop. HanYumi refused and told her to never call him because all public telephones were monitored by public security. Yumi thought it didn't make sense and HanYumi was so young that she didn't know anything. When Yumi called to clothes shop, the master of shop was very angry and insulted her during the call. But Yumi didn't mind. She did her duty, she thought she was right after all.

After a few hours she'll be safe. However after just a few minuite, public security had arrived around the public telephone booth and arrested them.

Yumi felt very sorry to HanYumi. But it was too late. They were sent back to North Korea again. (The 8th time)

12. Prophecy of fortune teller 

Yumi met a girl whose name was bongsuk. Bongsuk asked her that if yumi wants to go out from N.K. again. Yumi said she'll leave and Bongsuk suggested her to go to S.K. together. Yumi was very surprised to hear that, because if she tells the guard bongsuk would be excuted. Bongsuk believed Yumi.

Bongsuk said she had a line for escaping, and once we got acrossed a river, I could contact a broker and soon we'll be S.K. 

Yumi and Bongsuk were forced to work outside for 6 months. The working office made them crazy. The working was very hard but they could stand it. However what they can't stand it was to make them awake in the night. The guards made them memorize all the rules and thoughts of communitism until dawn, and they had to go work outside at 4 a.m.  They thought they'd crazy if they stayed in there. So they planned on escaping.

They went to work cutting woods in January. That was very cold and the temperature was minus 40 degrees. They had always thought of escaping. 

That night, Yumi asked a guard to open the door that you could went to the toilet. The guard was supposed to led her to the toilet and keep her not to run away, but he didn't.   He opened the door and went to sleep.  The door was opened and Yumi didn't know it was a chance or a trap. Yumi kept her eagle eyes on the guard and the guard seemed to asleep. When she was certain, Yumi waked bongsuk up, and they ran away from jail. They ran as fast as they could to the backward of the jail. There was a mountain in the back of the jail. They climb up the mountain. Yumi thought they'll definately got caught because they can't run faster than the men did.

So they decided to hide under ground. But they could hide their body under waist. Yumi said that they couldn't escape from the men. If Yumi and Bongsuk runs, the sound of actions will make the men noticed them, and they will be caught. So they crouched and lied down the cold snowy ground still until the seekers went away from them. 2 hours later, they could escape from the place, and they walked along the mountain path to the cousin's house.

The cousin hid them and the mothers of them went to the house. The mothers told them they must go out to China as soon as possible. There was no safe place in this country as they escaped. While they hid in the house, mothers went to a fortune teller if they could go out to China. They believed the fortune teller's skill, if he said not to go they won't go. 

The fortune tellers said Bongsuk was safe by Yumi but Bongsuk will be die if she let her hands off Yumi's. Yumi and Bongsuk heard that, they were so afraided but they believed each other that they won't let their hands off. And then they went to China successfully.

13. Yumi met broker.

Bongsuk was sure to make a line for broker. But when she had a chance to call broker, she failed to call. The number was wrong and bongsuk insisted she forgot the number of the broker. But it was hard to believe because to forget the number means death. Yumi couldn't hardly believe her, but she couldn't help herself. It was a despair. Bongsuk's suggestion was her only hope, so she could had overcome those dangers. Bongsuk didn't say nothing, and she just kept her eyes down. 

Yumi lost her only hope sitting down and cried out loud for a while. They couldn't go back to N.K. and they couldn't pass through the checkpoint of Public Security. Yumi couldn't give up on Bongsuk because her mother asked that never let her go alone.

Yumi suggested Bongsuk to go to Human Trafficker and sell themselves to pass the checkpoint.

It was a only way to pass the checkpoint they could imagine. Yumi called the woman who had a TB. Her husband was Human Trafficker, and he was very angray at her because yumi ran away before. He cursed at her severly. Yumi and Bongsuk told him that they couldn't go back to N.K. and they were willing to sold themselves. He agreed at last because he would have a profit. Of course Yumi and Bongsuk made their mind to run away from the beginning.

Trafficker believed their stories and he was relieved. So they had a chance to run away when they got to Shenyang. 

They got a job serving in a restaurant. But Bongsuk didn't work at all. The master had seen bongsuk working, then he said he don't want her because he didn't work at all. Yumi led her out, and she said.

"Why didn't you work at all. We just saved our life and we had to work hard then we'll find another broker. Pull yourself together."

"I can't hold it anymore. The work is so hard that I don't want to work here. I'm going where I had lived before." Bongsuk said.

Yumi was afraid that the fortune teller had said bongsuk will die if they took apart. Bongsuk denied and she went away at last.

After a few months later, yumi called her mother to say hello. She could call to her if she use China telecom. When her mother got her call, her mother was very surprised and yelled and shouted and she's like you're alive!

Her mother said that Bongsuk tried to escape alone and got caught by Public Security then she was excuted at N.K.

Yumi didn't hate her but she did feel so sorry for Bongsuk that she didn't stop her. Bongsuk betrayed Yumi, but Yumi really relied on her emotionally.

When Yumi was working in a restaurant, one day someone introduced her broker who can led her to S.K.

The broker called her and he said that they could meet at a restaurant and then they can move. Yumi went to the restaurant first, she sat at the table and waited the broker. But someone yanked her and told her to stand up, stand up. There were over 7 police cars outside, and the broker and she were arrested together. 

The broker told Public Security that he planned let the Korean woman go to S.K. But yumi didn't agree that and she said she didn't know him at all. Because if she admitted it, Public Security will inform N.K. the fact, she will be excuted. China Public Security had hit her severly until she confess the fact but she never admitted it. At last she was sent to N.K. the ninth time.

14. Yumi finally got connected to South Korea.

Yumi was suffered in the jail for a while and she was nearly starved to death. Thanksfully one of the guards fell in love her, and he helped her to free.

And She met her mother. She was so missed her mother and spent some days with her mother.

When she and her mother went to martket, she ran into a woman who is aquaintance. The woman heard Yumi's story and she felt so pity about her.

"You got caught so many times, I felt so pity. You should go to South Korea this time, and here's the number of my husband who is in South Korea." The woman said.

As soon as she got the number she went to China. She was very happy when she finally connected to the number because she was worried that if he didn't get the call. Fortunately he was pleased to help her.

But the problem was that Yumi must go to Shenyang without being caught. If she get there, broker can help her.

Then Yumi decided to go to the trafficker again. It was a third time Yumi go to the trafficker. She planned escaping of course, but this time the trafficker didn't let his attention loose, he sold her to an old man as a bride.

Yumi escaped from the house where the old man lived, waiting in the tall corn trees all night long, running through moutain paths. She got taxi after 2 days later in another village, and the taxi driver helped her. The taxi driver already had heard about her, and the family who bought her asked him to get her back to their house then he would get 300 dollars. But the driver helped yumi and got her to the Shenyang for free and got her some food and let her go. 

She finally met broker there. She thought she'll go to S.K. directly but the broker's plan was not so easy.

The plan was to sneak into Korean International School in Tianjin and asked help her. She went into the head's room and she yelled at the head "I love South Korea. I'm here to get there.". 

The head's talking made her depressed because it's not easy to let her go and he had to get a permission from Public Security. 

This is the last time, she made up her mind. and 6 hours later the consulate of South Korea called her to she was permitted.

Yumi went to the consulte of Korea with helpers and she was so suprised because there were 150 people in the building. They were all North Korean.

She had to wait her order to go to South Korea. She could go to Korea after 1 and half year later.