A North Korean woman wearing a traditional pink dress stands in the middle of soldiers in Pyongyang | Image: Eric Lafforgue (April 13, 2008)
“The Hard Road Out” is a work of both shock and awe, describing in anguishing detail real accounts of human trafficking, rape, torture, death and family abandonment. It details co-author Jihyun Park’s escape from North Korea with clarity and precision yet never a hint of hyperbole.
It boggles the mind how an individual can experience such things and still find meaning. While reading it, I often found myself questioning whether I would have the courage and intestinal fortitude to do even half of what Park experienced. If I were placed in a totalitarian state, would I be brave enough to leave? And if so, how would I ever endure the often unspeakable challenges that come next?
“The Hard Road Out” is a work of both shock and awe, describing in anguishing detail real accounts of human trafficking, rape, torture, death and family abandonment. It details co-author Jihyun Park’s escape from North Korea with clarity and precision yet never a hint of hyperbole.
It boggles the mind how an individual can experience such things and still find meaning. While reading it, I often found myself questioning whether I would have the courage and intestinal fortitude to do even half of what Park experienced. If I were placed in a totalitarian state, would I be brave enough to leave? And if so, how would I ever endure the often unspeakable challenges that come next?
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David A. Tizzard (@Hesp365) has a Ph.D. in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He is a social and cultural commentator who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He is also the host of the Korea Deconstructed podcast.