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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
4.5 stars A tragic tale that makes you appreciate all that you have. Saddened that this life is still a reality for many in North Korea TODAY.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
How do you rate books about such pain and heartbreak? Ishikawa is angry, and I appreciate that he never holds back his rightful rage.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
This is the kind of dystopian book that you could really into until you realize it’s a first person account of someone’s real life. This is a soul crushing, eye opening book that offers no relief or light to calm the sorrow or pain we feel as we read this man’s story. The story, from the beginning, takes us first hand through the wretched and drastic circumstances the author had to live through. It is appalling and moving to realize that a society like North Korea exists. And while the vast majority of North Koreans have never known anything different, the uniqueness of this account of a man who had lived in a free Japan prior to going to North Korea with his family provides the clearest and most brutal depiction of just how comparatively (and objectively) dire and bad it has been in that country. Have things changed since the mid-to-late 20th century when this man’s story takes place? Who knows but likely not. But this story is powerful. It’s something I never want to read again but I know I should just so I don’t become complacent or ignorant of the fact that people in this world still live in places like North Korea.
dark
sad
slow-paced
In August 1958, North Korean leader Kim Il-sung called for ethnic Koreans living in Japan, known as Zainichis, to “return to their mother country” in a speech. With support from Chongryon – the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, closely aligned with the North Korean government – the idea of repatriating Koreans gained tractions in Japan, despite the absence of diplomatic relations and regular transport connections with North Korea. In February 1959, the Japanese government announced its call on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to assist in overseeing a project to aid those wishing to be repatriated to North Korea.
Between 1959 and 1984, approximately 100,000 Koreans and 2,000 Japanese wives crossed over to North Korea in what was perhaps the only mass migration in history from a capitalist country to a socialist one. The Japanese government actively promoted repatriation, ostensibly on humanitarian grounds, although the author hints at opportunism on both sides involved in this process. For the Japanese government, Koreans in Japan and their families, discriminated against and destitute in the difficult postwar years, might have become a source of social unrest. This pattern is familiar to refugees everywhere, who may resort to stealing and criminal activities after prolonged stays in refugee camps with decreasing aid. From the North Korean government's perspective, the influx of workers repatriated from Japan would aid in the country's reconstruction after the Korean War and serve as proof of the superiority of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Like many Koreans in Japan at that time, Masaji’s father, an ethnic Korean, was lured by Kim Il-sung's promise of a stable life and first-class education for his children in the supposed "paradise on earth" of North Korea. Despite opposition from his Japanese relatives, including Masaji's mother's side of the family, Masaji's father decided to migrate to North Korea bringing his wife, Masaji and Masaji's younger sisters.
Upon arrival, it became immediately apparent that life would be challenging for them. Food was rationed, and unemployment meant having nothing to eat. Masaji’s mother, as a Japanese, was forbidden from taking any form of employment due to discrimination. Masaji himself later realised his inability to socially advance in the North Korean system, which relied heavily on a caste system determined by birth, background, perceived loyalty to the party, and connections. Despite his commitments to the North Korean government, he remained in a “hostile” class, the lowest among the castes, simply because he was a returnee from Japan born to a Japanese mother.
For Masaji, the turning point came in 1996, during the era of famine in the 1990s, which the North Korean government termed “The Arduous March". This supports the view asserted by North Korean defectors interviewed by [a:Barbara Demick|785914|Barbara Demick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1325069453p2/785914.jpg] for her book [b:Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea|8551322|Nothing to Envy Real Lives in North Korea|Barbara Demick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582848613l/8551322._SY75_.jpg|6358552] that the 1990s famine drove illegal migration by many North Koreans across the border to China. The famine occurred due to decreasing economic assistance after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and a series of natural disasters that struck lands used for grain production. Translated from the Japanese, this memoir provides insight into life in North Korea from the 1960s to the early 1990s and what drove the great famine in the 1990s, seen from the perspective of a third-class citizen discriminated against. However, it's worth noting that changes may have occurred in the decades since the end of the story.
Between 1959 and 1984, approximately 100,000 Koreans and 2,000 Japanese wives crossed over to North Korea in what was perhaps the only mass migration in history from a capitalist country to a socialist one. The Japanese government actively promoted repatriation, ostensibly on humanitarian grounds, although the author hints at opportunism on both sides involved in this process. For the Japanese government, Koreans in Japan and their families, discriminated against and destitute in the difficult postwar years, might have become a source of social unrest. This pattern is familiar to refugees everywhere, who may resort to stealing and criminal activities after prolonged stays in refugee camps with decreasing aid. From the North Korean government's perspective, the influx of workers repatriated from Japan would aid in the country's reconstruction after the Korean War and serve as proof of the superiority of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Like many Koreans in Japan at that time, Masaji’s father, an ethnic Korean, was lured by Kim Il-sung's promise of a stable life and first-class education for his children in the supposed "paradise on earth" of North Korea. Despite opposition from his Japanese relatives, including Masaji's mother's side of the family, Masaji's father decided to migrate to North Korea bringing his wife, Masaji and Masaji's younger sisters.
Upon arrival, it became immediately apparent that life would be challenging for them. Food was rationed, and unemployment meant having nothing to eat. Masaji’s mother, as a Japanese, was forbidden from taking any form of employment due to discrimination. Masaji himself later realised his inability to socially advance in the North Korean system, which relied heavily on a caste system determined by birth, background, perceived loyalty to the party, and connections. Despite his commitments to the North Korean government, he remained in a “hostile” class, the lowest among the castes, simply because he was a returnee from Japan born to a Japanese mother.
For Masaji, the turning point came in 1996, during the era of famine in the 1990s, which the North Korean government termed “The Arduous March". This supports the view asserted by North Korean defectors interviewed by [a:Barbara Demick|785914|Barbara Demick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1325069453p2/785914.jpg] for her book [b:Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea|8551322|Nothing to Envy Real Lives in North Korea|Barbara Demick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582848613l/8551322._SY75_.jpg|6358552] that the 1990s famine drove illegal migration by many North Koreans across the border to China. The famine occurred due to decreasing economic assistance after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and a series of natural disasters that struck lands used for grain production. Translated from the Japanese, this memoir provides insight into life in North Korea from the 1960s to the early 1990s and what drove the great famine in the 1990s, seen from the perspective of a third-class citizen discriminated against. However, it's worth noting that changes may have occurred in the decades since the end of the story.
A must read memoir. A harrowing account that leaves you distraught.
An interesting and sad look into life in North Korea. It's difficult to believe that life like this exists. If you have an interest in what life is like in North Korea, it could be an interesting read. North Korea is a little intriguing to me since there's so few pictures and information on it.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
I've never been more sad or grateful reading a book. I hope Masaji Ishikawa reunites with his children soon.