I was a merchant selling goods at XX city market in Hamkyung province, I was severely sick for 3 months from Sept, 2002 to spend all the money saved for the business. My mother's wealth wasn't that good either; however, she could borrow me 1,000 won in NK money to start over in business. I went out to do the buying and selling at the market. But the money I had was too little to make profit. One day, I met a young girl at the market who asked me about my business and told me if I come to China, I could make much more there. Then she introduced me to a man whom I could follow to China. But it wasn't like what the young girl told me when I was found in China later. She was one of the team of traffickers. But, no time to regret, I have decided that I have already made it into China and I would make money on my own.
We, together with other 4 NK women, walked from Changbei for 3 days to Limgang. I asked the man who brought me to China that I wouldn't marry anyone, but want to make money, instead. But as he pretended to help me, he sold me to a man who was a poultry farmer. As I was staying there for 3 days, I realized they were going to marry me. So that night I escaped from them. Even though I didn't know the language or area, as we walked all the way when we got there, I could find the man's house who I was first sold to. That man was so frightened when he saw me, then, immediately he was so happy to see me that I could escape from the buyer's home. He offered me 500 RMB every time I could escape from the place he sold me to. Since then, I was sold to various places, then, I escaped from that place. But he often didn't give me 500 RMB. I felt bad whenever he cheated others and didn't get my share. So I just made myself at home till now to a man whom I met when I was sold in Jilin province. When I was settled at this man's house, I asked him that I needed to make money to support my family in NK. He agreed and started to help me to have a business in Baisan city, where I met a Korean-Chinese woman. However, her husband found me as a NK woman, he had approached me to have an affair. I immediately refused. Then, after failed numerous attempts to get to know me, he informed me to the police on Nov. 2006 as an illegal NK refugee.
I was arrested and repatriated to NK. In my hometown detention center, my mother rescued me by bribing the security official when I was in a deadly disease. I was released and, fortunately, I was recovered. Then in Feb, 2007, I left NK again but at this time for good. I have decided that I wouldn't comeback to NK anymore. But it wasn't safe to live in China without any proper documents. By that time, I got a call from a NK refugee friend who had made to S. Korea. She introduced me a Korean NGO and connected to 318 Partners Mission. Please give me your mercy and help me to get to S. Korea where I can live freely without fear of being repatriated into NK. Thank you.
Narrative provided by Escaping North Korea: The Plight of Defectors: Hearing before the Tom Lanto Human Rights Commission House of Representative
