A River in Darkness: one man's escape from North Korea

A River in Darkness by Masaji Iskikawa is his harrowing story of life and escape from North Korea, one of the most brutal regimes. Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Mr. Ishikawa grew up in a between worlds. He wasn’t fully accepted in Japan, the country of his birth and he was mocked and placed in the lowest social caste, what Mr. Ishikawa called “Hostiles,” in North Korea as his family moved there in 1960 when he was 13. His father, a South Korean native, was lured to the new Communist country with the promises of a better life, better work opportunities and education for his children; however, reality proved far worse than he could have imagined. Mr. Ishikawa recounts his early life in Japan, the move to North Korea and the 36 years he spent there until he couldn’t take it anymore. He knew he had to get out. Either he died in country or he died trying to escape, he would make a run for it.

A River in Darkness is not only a shocking real-life story of life inside North Korea and a testament to the desperate measures people will take to survive and even try to escape, it is a wake up call to the path many countries are heading. I know there are many people who should say that socialism in America would be different, but I have read too many accounts of people who lived and escaped communist countries to see that the results always end in human suffering. And as I read Mr. Ishikawa’s story, I couldn’t help but see the same empty promises being made now. I highly recommend A River Darkness as a warning to those who think that socialism is the answer. It is a heartbreaking story and a must read.

 

A River in Darkness is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Today in history: Armistice signed ending the Korean War

Today is the 62nd anniversary of the signing of the armistice which signaled the end of the Korean War. The Korean War was the first major conflict of the Cold War. In North Korea, this day is known as the Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War. In the United States, the Korean War is referred to as the Forgotten War. On this day in 1995, the Korean War Veterans Memorial dedicated in Washington, D.C. The war which ended in a stalemate and is a war that is technically still being fought by North Korea and South Korea.

The Korean Demilitarized Zone is the buffer zone between North and South Korea. It is the de factor border which runs the vicinity of the 38^th parallel and roughly cuts the Korean peninsula in half. It is 250 km (160 miles) long and approximately 4 km (2.5 miles) wide. Despite its name, it is the most heavily militarized border in the world. Since its establishment, there have been numerous incidents and incursions by the North Koreans which the North Korean government denies. In 1968, there was a failed attempt to assassinate President Park Chung Hee. Between the years of 1974-1990, a series of infiltration tunnels were discovered. A total of 17 tunnels were discovered. The most recent incident was June 15, 2015 when a teenage North Korean solider walked across the DMZ and defected at a South Korean guard post. 

Today, I would like to remember the Forgotten War. To remember the men who fought a war that no one really cared about not like they did for World War II or the Vietnam War. The men who came home to no fanfare, no tinker tape parades. To the men who quietly came home and began to build their lives, their families and their careers. Approximately 40,000 American soldiers died in the Korean War, more than 100,000 were wounded and more than 32,000 are missing in action. In total, 5 million people were killed in this conflict and 10% of the causalities were Korean civilians. 416 Korean War unknown soldiers are buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Oahu, Hawaii.  

Today the North Koreans proudly claim they won the Korean War, we remember the men and women who served and those who died in service of their country during the Korean War, a war that officially wasn’t a “war” but it was for those who experienced it. To all the Korean War veterans, thank you for your service. I may not know your names but you are not forgotten.