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  • If you were living in North Korea right now, starving, dirt poor

  • trying to survive on a diet of rats, grass, soil and tree bark

  • quenching your thirst by drinking out of mud puddles in the ground.

  • What would you do?

  • Oh, and there's also the conceivable chance of being sent to a political prison camp

  • for years on end just because you innocently thought out loud one day to a bunch of friends

  • where you are then beaten, tortured, and left so hungry that you are forced to dig and consume

  • the grains out of faeces, or the maggots from dead bodies

  • just so you have the energy to perhaps last one more day.

  • You'd probably wanna escape.

  • But how?

  • The North Korean government refuses to let its citizens leave,

  • a clear violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

  • viewing escapees as traitorous criminals, who, if caught,

  • would be subject to unimaginable torture and often public executions.

  • If they are successful in their escape, then three to four generations of their family back home

  • would be sent to prison camps, to rot ... or worse.

  • This is a strong deterrent.

  • But this still doesn't stop desperate North Koreans from tempting fate.

  • In this video, I'll go over the seven ways to escape North Korea,

  • including the most dangerous, the most unforgiving, the most unique, and the most unexpected.

  • We'll start with what seems the most obvious choice, crossing the Korean DMZ

  • that's the Korean demilitarised zone that separates North and South Korea.

  • Those who know little about Korea might think: Why not just cross here? (Bad idea)

  • The 250 km DMZ is the most heavily, militarised border in the world,

  • guarded by almost two million troops on both sides.

  • If you try to escape this way, you're likely to either step on a landmine, get electrocuted,

  • or be gunned down in cold blood

  • This is the most dangerous way to escape North Korea.

  • But that doesn't mean it's impossible.

  • Under these conditions, civilians just about never make it across safely, and that's why

  • almost all successful DMZ crossings are from North Korean soldiers who were, actually,

  • supposed to be guarding the border.

  • This is not the route to take for the average North Korean.

  • But perhaps traveling by sea, is a more acceptable option.

  • In the last 40 years, some North Korean families have attempted to make the journey by boat

  • to South Korea.

  • With no passport, visa or money, South Korea is the most logical destination,

  • as the South Korean government welcomes all North Korean refugees with open arms

  • considering them their own citizens.

  • It's the easiest way to overall safety and security.

  • Now, if you're escaping by sea, you can either leave from the west coast or the east coast.

  • If you leave from somewhere here, it is geographically and navigationally easier

  • but since the government is well aware of that, you're likely to be caught by their naval patrols.

  • Up here, you can try a different route.

  • A safer one perhaps, further out to sea... except it's not really safer.

  • The seas are unpredictable and many things can go wrong.

  • Remember, you're dirt poor and you're probably on a small, flimsy boat with no real navigational equipment

  • The current could take you back to North Korea

  • or you could end up in China, perhaps equally as bad.

  • North Korean defectors are considered illegal economic migrants in China, and with the two

  • countries being allies, those captured would be repatriated back to a life of horror.

  • So maybe try departing from the east coast.

  • Here, the conditions are more dangerous in a way, but unlike the west coast

  • if you drift too far, you'll reach the safety of Japan, and the Japanese are not going to send you

  • back to North Korea.

  • You're free to carry on.

  • To avoid being spotted by North Korean patrols, you can always try swimming to South Korea.

  • Not really recommended as you'll probably freeze or drown, but if you're a strong swimmer,

  • you might have a chance.

  • Now, the next three all start off the same way, by crossing the northern border into China

  • It's less risky than the DMZ, but that's like saying Kim Jong-il is less cruel than Kim Jong-un.

  • Both options suck.

  • Nonetheless, up here you have the choice of crossing either the Yalu River or the Tumen River

  • this is the border between North Korea and China.

  • The Tumen river is the more popular route as it is generally an easier crossing point.

  • But even so, most don't make it across alive.

  • Dead bodies are often seen floating downstream.

  • North Korean border patrol also maintain a significant presence in the area.

  • Guards will shoot you at will if they see you escaping, and many even hide underground

  • pointing their guns upwards through holes, waiting for the opportune time to surprise you

  • with a shower of bullets.

  • Now if you make it to China without dying or being caught, life doesn't get much easier.

  • We already know that the Chinese authorities can arrest you and send you back at any time,

  • but there's also the chance of being kidnapped for human trafficking.

  • Many North Korean escapees get caught up in this black market trade, men are sold as slaves,

  • and women are often forced into prostitution.

  • Or if lucky, they'd be sold as wives to Chinese villagers living deep in the countryside.

  • I say lucky because many women in this situation actually consider themselves fortunate

  • There's now a roof over their head and food on the table, an upgrade from life in North Korea.

  • Those who aren't trafficked have to adapt to life in the slums and on the run.

  • They can't get a job legally and there's no medical care.

  • It's quite possible that if you get sick or injured, you just die on the streets.

  • Not surprisingly, for many escapees, China isn't supposed to be the endgame.

  • It's obviously not sustainable.

  • South Korea is still the intended destination for the reasons I've already mentioned.

  • So, if possible, it would seem to make sense to head to the South Korean embassy to seek asylum

  • or the office of the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees, both in Beijing.

  • But once again, it's not that easy.

  • The Chinese police often stake out the South Korean embassy and the UNHCR office

  • likely to arrest any North Koreans before they even make it in.

  • If you are lucky enough to get in, yes the Chinese can't get you, as there's immunity within the embassy

  • but for how long?

  • Even if South Korea approves your defection, you're going to have to leave the embassy at some point

  • to get to a plane to fly to Seoul.

  • So you're still going to have to set foot in China, and that's when Chinese authorities

  • can grab you.

  • You don't want to end up in a situation like Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks,

  • who's now trapped indefinitely at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

  • Because of this, the next best option is to somehow make your way to a third country,

  • that has close ties to South Korea and, preferably, minimal ties to North Korea

  • so you can freely get to an embassy without fear of arrest and repatriation.

  • This is where Asia's Underground Railroad comes into play.

  • This dangerous network of routes that takes you through China's underground

  • is meant to lead to safe haven in Southeast Asia.

  • But Southeast Asian countries have varying levels of commitment to North Korea.

  • Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar can be options for some, but the chances of deportation once caught,

  • are quite high.

  • Thailand, on the other hand, appears the safest option.

  • North Koreans aren't given refugee status in Thailand, but the Thai government

  • will deport them back to 'Korea'

  • Not to North Korea, but to South Korea where they'd be safe.

  • In fact, many North Koreans will surrender themselves to the Thai police as soon as they

  • cross the border into Thailand.

  • The journey from China to Thailand isn't straight forward though.

  • It's fraught with peril and uncertainty, and at any moment you can be caught by police

  • who frequently stop buses and trains to check passports and identification.

  • If they question you, your lack of Chinese or your heavy North Korean accent would give it away

  • Now, if you make it to the southern border, you have to go through Laos, to get to Thailand.

  • Laos, similar to China, isn't friendly to defectors

  • so it's too risky to cross near the border checkpoint.

  • Instead, you have to detour through the Laotian jungle and mountainous terrain.

  • If you're able to make it across Laos, well you're almost there.

  • The Mekong River is the final obstacle, and crossing that border,

  • you've now made it to the relative safety of Thailand.

  • The South Korean embassy should take care of the rest.

  • Now, more treacherous than Asia's Underground Railroad

  • may be escaping through the Gobi Desert, to Mongolia.

  • The Gobi Desert is a vast, barren region in northern China and southern Mongolia,

  • known for it's dunes, mountains, and temperature extremes

  • with the occasional roaming snow leopards, bears and wolves

  • not a place you want to cross

  • Despite this, the appeal of a much shorter journey to Mongolia makes it a legitimate option

  • Also Mongolia, unlike like some other Asian countries,

  • has shown to be sympathetic towards North Korean refugees

  • often sending them straight to South Korea with minimal bureaucratic resistance.

  • Over the years, however, tightened border control has made traveling the Gobi desert route less common.

  • So far we've only talked about resettlement in South Korea

  • but defectors can also seek asylum in Western countries

  • maybe through foreign embassies, the UNHCR, NGO's

  • or physically making the arduous trek to a country's border

  • and tapping on the shoulder of a border guard.

  • There are several reasons why a North Korean would choose a Western country

  • over the guaranteed security of South Korea.

  • It could be related to discrimination, life opportunities or friends and family, just to name a few.

  • There have actually been people from other countries who have pretended to be North Korean defectors

  • in order to gain refugee status, so the vetting process very strict.

  • Sometimes a genuine North Korean defector will be wrongly accused of being a fraudster

  • and get deported back to the country they think he's from.

  • And if that country is China.... well that's just cruel.

  • As of now, there's somewhere between a thousand to two thousand North Korean refugees

  • living in Europe.

  • Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden

  • and the UK are all reported to have small North Korean communities.

  • The largest in Europe is in South West London with approximately 700 defectors.

  • It should be noted that Great Britain has accepted more North Koreans than almost any other country

  • and provided them with homes, financial support and other social benefits.

  • Trying to seek asylum in the US is always an interesting dynamic

  • as North Koreans are taught to regard the American Imperialists as evil from a young age.

  • They are North Korea's greatest enemy after all.

  • Even though defectors are likely to harbor ill-will towards their own government

  • it's hard to escape their propaganda that they've been exposed to all their lives.

  • As such, many would rather seek asylum elsewhere.

  • But then there are those who realise that if America is supposed to be the great enemy

  • of the regime that they're escaping from, then they're probably safe there.

  • There's one catch though, the processing time for the application can take up to several years

  • and with no stability, anything can happen during that time.

  • One particular defector revealed - he had made his way through Asia's Underground Railroad,

  • to Thailand.

  • But when he found out the wait time could be years, he decided to hop on a boat to Argentina,

  • trek through the South American terrain, then cross the Mexican border with a bunch of Mexicans

  • Today he is a US citizen.

  • We don't have to illegally cross any borders for this next one.

  • North Korea is notoriously known for it's labor camps,

  • where people live under insanely harsh, working conditions.

  • But it's not just within their own country that this happens.

  • North Korea outsources its labor force to several other countries including Poland and Russia

  • Russia has the largest North Korean work force outside the DPRK when it comes to labor camps.

  • People who are chosen to work in these camps, usually logging camps,

  • live and work in remote regions of Russia's Far East.

  • Squalid living quarters, inedible food, insane work hours, ridiculously minimal pay - often withheld pay

  • and fixed 10-year contracts are the norm in this wintry hell-hold.

  • Despite this, many North Koreans fight tooth-and-nail to be the ones selected to work overseas;

  • to work as, essentially, slave labourers.

  • This is because working in Russia, even under these conditions, can seem favourable

  • to the misery back home.

  • But there's another reason why... (Escape!)

  • No heavily guarded borders, no landmines, you just have to escape from the labor camp.

  • Of course if it were that easy, we'd have a lot more defectors in the world.

  • In order to qualify for these Siberian labor camps

  • you have to go through an extreme vetting process by the government.

  • You have to be in good physical condition,

  • you have to have a history of toeing the party line

  • and - and this one's a biggie - you have to be married with children.

  • Why?

  • Hostages.

  • If you escape, your wife and kids will suffer the consequences.

  • You can imagine, this is enough to keep most workers in line.

  • But it's not full-proof.

  • If you're able to trick party officials into getting the job,

  • and are able to later smuggle your family out of North Korea

  • you might have a chance.

  • Of course, you can always circumvent that last part by ditching your family altogether

  • and sadly, this happens too often.

  • To even put people in this situation is infuriating for many of us watching,

  • but when you find out almost all the money that these workers earn get sent back to Pyongyang

  • to fund pointless nuclear projects and Kim Jong-un's life of luxury

  • it's too much

  • Finally, we get to the one that's different from all the rest.

  • The last six were mainly directed towards North Koreans who were poor

  • or had little to no social privileges.

  • It's a completely different dynamic when it comes to the North Korean elite.

  • They have security and stability so defections are comparatively rare.

  • But they still happen.

  • It isn't the hunger or poverty that's the driving factor here, but intellectual freedom

  • or political beliefs.

  • Many of the privileged come from families working for the North Korean government, military

  • or state businesses abroad

  • and are therefore more likely to have unfiltered exposure to other cultures and their media.

  • This exposure is still heavily restricted by the government, and often times illegal,

  • but having money, grants you access, one way or another

  • and once your eyes are open to how the rest of the world lives

  • there may be no going back

  • Especially for the emerging generation who are filled with unmatched ambition and drive.

  • If you're of Pyongyang's elite and have decided to defect, it is so much easier.

  • You have the funds to pay escape brokers to smuggle you out of the country.

  • If you're caught by border security, you can bribe your way out.

  • You can afford fake South Korean passports and IDs

  • so even if you're stopped by, say, Chinese police,

  • you wouldn't look the part of an impoverished defector,

  • especially with your blinged out appearance.

  • You can also pay for flights instead of making your way through Asia's underground railroad

  • or the Gobi desert.

  • Even better if you're a student, who has the rare opportunity to travel or study overseas,

  • maybe you're an exchange student in Europe or representing North Korea

  • in some sort of an international competition

  • this makes escaping a lot more straightforward.

  • Of course delegations travelling overseas are always kept on a tight leash

  • so you would still have to be extremely careful.

  • Don't forget your family back home would also likely suffer if you escaped

  • so it's never that easy.

  • If you're a North Korean diplomat who is stationed overseas, it's physically quite easy to escape,

  • but as a result, it's policy to have to leave your children behind in Pyongyang

  • when you are dispatched abroad.

  • Once again, hostages.

  • Fortunately for Thae Yong-ho, North Korea's former deputy ambassador to Britain,

  • he managed to convince the state to allow him to take his children and wife to London.

  • Being a high-ranking member of the regime, he was granted this privilege.

  • With nothing holding him back, he was now able to defect to South Korea with his whole family.

  • Thae is the highest-profile North Korean defection in recent times and was a huge blow to the DPRK.

  • After his escape, North Korean state media did what they always do.

  • In an attempt to save face, and after denouncing him as 'human scum',

  • they accused him of embezzling state funds, spying for money, and of course, raping a child.

  • Thae has now dedicated his life to taking down Kim Jong-un and the North Korean regime.

  • And this, is really the only way to truly make your escape from North Korea

  • taking down the regime

  • as no matter what route you took, or where you ended up

  • the North Korean government will always try and hunt you down.

  • Especially if you're an outspoken critic or a perceived threat to Kim Jong-un's power.

  • Just ask his half-brother.

  • From one humanitarian disaster to another,

  • you can check out the 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Hiroshima Atomic Bomb

  • by clicking the video on top,

  • otherwise click the one below if you prefer something else.

  • I hope you enjoyed this topic, and if you have any questions or thoughts, let us know down below.

  • Thanks for watching, hit that like button, and stay tuned for more-interesting Asiany videos.

If you were living in North Korea right now, starving, dirt poor

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你會如何逃離北韓? (7種選擇) (How Would You Escape North Korea? (The 7 Choices))

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    gotony5614.me97 發佈於 2021 年 01 月 14 日
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