Kim’s Korea
As a child she saw people tied to poles and executed. As a teenager, Danbi got caught smuggling and was tortured for 25 days. Against all odds she escaped to tell her story
where had freedom to change their looks and clothes, express their personalities. It was the biggest revelation of my life.”
Danbi built up a network of trusted people in China and would fill tractor inner tubes with contraband and drag the load across the river.
She smuggled anything from USB sticks and hair tongs to tracksuits and black jeans.
Then she helped to arrange reunions for longlost families. Danbi goes on: “Brokers pay people to find families in North Korea and help them meet their South Korean families in China. It’s illegal to help North Koreans out of the country and make contact with foreigners. It’s a dangerous crime considered akin to espionage and being involved with countries who were our enemy. And I got caught.”
That was in 2010. One morning, at 4.30am, the Bowibu – secret police – burst into Danbi’s house and arrested her and brother Namhoon, who was himself a police officer.
For 25 days, they were punched, kicked and had to stand in stress positions for hours. They were fed just 30 kernels of corn a day.
Danbi adds: “Torture in a police station is hell. But in a political detention centre you’re treated as if you’re not human. We were driven to a block in a mountain range with hoods over our heads. I was made to watch while they hit Namhoon with a cane that sliced into his skin.
“When they tied his arms up and beat him, I cried at every punch and kick to his head.
JAMMED
“For me, they got a thick rod, jammed it between my knees and made me sit like that for eight hours. When I didn’t confess they hit me with a band until my skin turned black.
“Namhoon could hear me crying at night in an adjoining cell, so gently sang to me through the pipes to calm me. He said he would take all the blame. I confessed to smuggling but not the more serious crime.”
Six weeks later Danbi was freed, but her brother has not been seen since. He is among an estimated 100,000 in political prison camps. By now a risk to her family, Danbi had to escape. She fled on August 13, 2011 – aged 19. Danbi crossed into China, then headed 3,000 miles to South East Asia to gain access to South Korea as a refugee. Now married and working in a hotel, she says: “Starting a new life has been tough. I speak to relatives each week by phone. Fury over my brother’s jailing still burns. “But I have enjoyed new freedom. I feel a high when I watch an American film, wear blue jeans, dye my hair or buy high heels. “It’s a fast heartbeat of deep gratitude that I can do things banned in my early years yet so normal in the rest of the world. “I’ve travelled to Washington to talk to the US government. And I’ve spoken at universities to tell the real inside story of my home country. “I’m going to do all I can to tell the world what life in North Korea is really like.” scoops@sunday mirror.co.uk
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