A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea

The news of Kim Il-sung’s death plunges Masaji and his fellow workers into shock. Sobbing in unison with his colleagues, Masaji questions his mixed emotional state. Back home, the news inspires a similar outpouring of emotion. The public mourning quickly shifts to criticism on Kim Jong-Il, the chosen successor, who lacks his father’s revered status. Masaji sees little hope for improvement under the new leader, recognizing the same hollow promises.

In the 1990s, famine devastates North Korea, claiming many lives. Workers stretch meager rations due to distribution delays, and violence erupts. Propaganda offers advice on alternative food sources, and citizens forage for anything edible, often with disastrous health consequences. Farming and industry halt, and electricity becomes scarce. The government allows cultivation of vacant land, but without seeds and amid rampant theft, farming proves futile. The streets teem with desperate people and unclaimed bodies. Unofficial markets spring up, but their exorbitant prices are prohibitively high. As Masaji watches starvation take its toll on his family, he worries about his eldest son’s whereabouts and his children’s livelihoods. However, while other families fall apart, they maintain their familial bond, leaning on one another for support.

People begin openly criticizing the government but never discuss overthrowing it, which Masaji attributes to deep-seated indoctrination.