This is part one:

Mrs. Kim gratefully acknowledged up-front that she has learned a lot from the new Underground University, where she is a regular student. Her experience in this Seoul-based training institute is a far cry from her beginnings.

She was born in Pyongyang. Her father was a soldier. She had one brother and five sisters. She had an early longing to follow her father's line of work.

In 1945, after Korea's independence from Japanese rule, her father easily transitioned into the labor party. Because of the dual protection of his service and his party membership, life was not all that difficult for the young girl.

From 1972-80, she actually was a part of the military and even gained an officer ranking.

Mrs. Kim recalls that when she was young, Pyongyang was a fairly wealthy city. There was an abundance of seafood in the markets, along with all the other marks of prosperity. But by the time she left the army, stores' supplies had been depleted. Life was on its way down.

After her military career, Mrs. Kim worked in a seafood market for five years. Three children were born to her during this time. Though the family prospered, her husband did not want her to continue that extra job.

But duty called from other directions. She was appointed by the government to be district administrator for her area of thirty-five families. She "took care" of them. What that meant in actuality was that she reported their every activity to the party. We call that spying. She was to see if anyone visited them, if anything unusual occurred. Extra spending was noted. Mrs. Kim was accorded much power in this way. She could if she desired get people sent away. Her neighbors for whom she "cared" became very nervous when seeing her in the neighborhood.

Even by the middle of the 1980's things were not so bad. But then came the electricity power outages. Less rations . Hospitals started saying, you must buy your own antibiotics. When your children are sick, you must treat them on your own. Hospitals were powerless to help in any practical way.

As part of her inspections, she went to every house, opened kettle lids. If she saw there was no grain at all, she reported this to the government, and they would be permitted to receive some grain.

But by now, even she had no rations. She sold her belongings to receive corn. Then ran out of food altogether. For three awful days, nothing. She slept on a cold floor.

Unlike others, because of her official position, she could not run a secret business "on the side." Far too risky. So she went to the countryside, cut plants, and fed her children. But it made them sick. Their bodies swelled up. So much so that those trying to give injections could not find blood vessels for entry. Her son went to the hospital for one month. He requested and was given a pill that helped him sleep for 3 days. He improved. But it took twenty days for the swelling to subside.

Pyongyang citizens, because of their special placement near the seat of the government, were given candy and other delicacies from time to time. They immediately would take it to the countryside, and exchange it for corn.

But from 1996, there was no ration whatever.

Many, many others tried eating plants, but some plants were not meant to be eaten. People were getting skin disease, as her son. Situation worsening.

Mrs. Kim finally realized she could not live like this. She asked her first daughter to go to the north and try to sell what they had. But the daughter was gone for one month. She had to go and find her now. When asking for a pass to travel, she was denied, as so many were seeking to go that direction all of a sudden.

She grabbed her second daughter and went anyway. She gave her husband and son a food supply, and promised to be back in one month. 30 kg of grain. She thought it would be enough.

The train took twenty-three hours to get north, on a normal day. There are no normal days in that part of the world. The trip took a full week because the electricity kept stopping. What an awful trip. Every time the train stopped, everyone attacked whatever market appeared. People snatched others' food. Kotjebi, wandering youth with no home. were everywhere, stealing to survive.

She saw a woman with a fire making a little rice. You have no house, she asks? No, we sold it to buy food. She saw 14-15 year olds, dirty and black, covered with thin blankets. Women begging for food. Kotjebi hanging on to the steps as they tried to travel... and more...

Our story concludes next time.