A woman, age 43. Her son, age 11. First arrival in China, 1997.

In 1997 her husband went to China and hooked up with a family who hired him. With the money he bought some oil to bring back to NK. But even though he was in North Korea, all he could think of was China and its wonders.

A second man, with family connections in China, also went there, and upon his return he joined the first man. But the second man was caught (such travel is illegal) and when in jail he revealed that the first man had been to China also.

The first man, husband of the lady being interviewed, escaped immediately with his entire family, into China. Eventually the husband died, but her three daughters all found husbands in China. She has since remarried also. Someone actually received money for giving her to an old poor man.

Enough trauma for one lifetime? Not nearly, not for a North Korean.

Her first daughter disappeared in 1997. Kidnapped and sold, they found out later. At the time of the interview Mom was in contact with someone who found her.

Meanwhile she was unhappy with the new marriage. She did not speak Chinese. The new husband did not like her son. She saved up money from her grocery allowance, and eventually left him and came to Yanji (where the interview took place).

In North Korea she had been well known for her farming skills. She never wanted to leave her homeland. And in 1999 she was caught and sent back. She was not arrested because she was so well known. She lived in North Korea for over a month and then was forced to go back to China to be able to eat.

Her recollection of North Korean government is that Kim Il Sung was "a really good man" who tried his best but failed. She feels that Kim Jong Il grew up spoiled, not ever having had to go to war, incapable of relating to commoners. And because his subordinates were always feeding him false reports, "this sucked the blood of the normal people."

Her sister's whole family died of starvation.

She does not believe anything is going to change anytime soon. Her hope is "unification."

Unification. It seems to be the hope held before all Koreans. But what if unification is under the present leader or his descendant? Our prayer for these precious souls is that a return to Christ will be the next event on the peninsula. And that if there is to be unification it will be under a free people.