JakePark

My Mom first escaped from North Korea to China to get some food. But it didnt go well. So she couldnt go back to NK. She worked very hard at a Korean Chinese farm and made some money. With that money she was able to bribe the boarder guards. My sister and I were able to cross the Duman River with no problems.

My biggest cultural shock... It was the first time to see very diverse people. I mean many different appearances like white, aboriginal people, black people etc

Also people were so much kinder that I thought.

It wasn't some romantic reason like searching for freedom. I was hungry, and I missed my mom. This is what I feel most people don't understand about North Korean defectors. Most are just hungry, and escape looking for food. Nothing is worse than that feeling of starvation.

To be honest, not very healthy. Most jokes are not that funny. Like if you go for 400 km with no food then you will get the luck with happiness, or something like that. It doesn't really translate.

Of course my childhood friends and my hometown. Also my relatives. My friends are most likely serving their mandatory 10 year military service so I don't know If I could even see them now.