Here is a very recent picture of how things in North Korea are changing without changing. “Same” is the constant desire of people who find out the truth to get out of North Korea. What is becoming news is the organized business that is evolving to bring them to light.
“Planned getaways” are making more than a few runners financially comfortable, even if the business is a bit risky. There is a whole range of prices, from a budget plan of $2000.00 to a super luxury escape that costs about 5 times as much. Now, the low-cost exit involves some difficult river crossings, pedestrian travel, and even several weeks in a Thai immigration jail. But at least you’re out. Kim free. The high-end plan will get you a forged Chinese passport and a plane ride from Beijing to Seoul. The whole ordeal can end in three weeks!
Although one regularly hears of crackdowns and tighter security, this article explains that the biggest change is the behavior of bribe-hungry guards. Word has gotten around that looking the other way is a great method of having a little extra spending money, and that’s surely hard to come by, by any legal means in Kim-land.
It was the Christians who led the way out of North Korea, thank God. They did it out of love and serious compassion, risking their lives just for the work of the Spirit within them. But others got the idea and decided it would be a great way to make a living. Now there are more paid “saviors” than unpaid.
The description of refugees has also changed over the years. The original flow was a trickle of mostly men in their 30s to 40s with “important” jobs. It wasn’t that hard for them to get out. A total of 41 such people made the journey from North Korea to South Korea in 1995. But the number has grown exponentially since then. With plenty of officers willing to help, the count rose to more than 2,000 in 2006 alone. And now there are more women and children than men.
Not everyone uses an agent. There may be 100,000 self-directed North Koreans hiding in China awaiting their advance south, or somewhere safe.
For those who buy their way out, there is always someone willing to take their money. There are scams. But usually men keep their promises. And no one is claiming that this is easy money. Some get trapped. A former NK military officer who deserted in 1999 says “the policy is for 100 percent execution of those caught helping people to defect. I personally saw several such executions.” Of course, the citizens who try to escape are accused of treason. 5 years in prison with all the horrors that come with it, is possible for them.
Even those who make it to the South have a serious problem to deal with: guilt for those left behind. In fact, the families of fugitives are often imprisoned. One of those ladies heard that “the authorities forced her mother, father and sister to leave their homes and relocated them to an agricultural area in the interior.” She then hired brokers to find them, but they too were arrested. She says, “You can’t know how heartbreaking it is to leave your family like this.”
We will not judge them. We just can’t comprehend… We will pray that the reason for all this pain and grievance soon disappears. And that the North Koreans will continue to point up as they head out.
Data from above article taken from a recent MSNBC story.
