Joy's Story: Part 3 - A Difficult Decision

December 17, 2019

Read parts one and two of Joy's story that detail her life in North Korea and how she was sold as a bride in China.

‍

When I started living with the Chinese man I was sold to, I thought of escaping after six months. I just did what the Chinese man wanted without thinking about birth-control—I never had proper sex education. Two months later, he and his family took me to a hospital for a pregnancy test. I was pregnant. I am so sorry to my daughter for this, but after I got pregnant was so miserable and I felt like I was stuck in this situation because of the baby. I knew that I couldn’t escape until I gave birth to my daughter and raised her for a while. I was not happy, but the Chinese man and his family were. I am very sorry to my daughter for how I felt about having her back then, but the pregnancy was not what I wanted and I didn’t love the Chinese man. I actually tried to abort the baby by jumping down from a high tree many times but it didn’t happen.

‍

I ended up having a daughter and raised her for two years before I escaped.

‍

‍

When I was still raising my daughter and living with the Chinese man and I was losing hope about my life, the North Korean broker who sold me into marriage got back to me and introduced me to some people who later connected me to LiNK’s network. She told me that she felt really bad for selling me to the Chinese man but she had to do it to survive in China as a North Korean herself. When she told me about going to South Korea and life there, I felt like that was my last chance to have my life back again. At that point, I was no longer breastfeeding and my baby had started to talk, so I thought the Chinese man’s parents could take care of her. I decided to leave for South Korea.

‍

I was so sad to leave my two-year-old daughter in China.

Before I left, I thought of taking her with me, but she was still very young and I was not sure if I was going to make it to South Korea safely so I didn't want to risk her life.

To this day I feel guilty and sorry about having left her so I could have freedom and better life. I know my daughter has been hurt a lot by my leaving.

‍

‍

Before I started moving to get out of China I stayed with some other defectors before I got connected to LiNK's network. At the time, I cried every day thinking of my daughter. Even when I was sleeping in the house, I kept waking up to see if my little daughter was sleeping well on my arm and realized that she was not with me anymore.

I didn't want to cry in front of other defectors, so I cried behind a curtain and I found another North Korean woman crying there because she also left her child. We ended up hugging each other and crying together.

Since I resettled to South Korea a few years ago, I have been talking with my daughter through online video calls as often as possible. She is doing well and is now in elementary school, but I can tell she has been so hurt by my absence in her life. It breaks my heart when she asks me why I am not with her. Whenever there is homework about family or whenever her teacher asks her to bring her mom, she gets so sad and I feel so helpless and remorseful. I plan to visit her in China on one of my summer breaks from college.

‍

It is so ironic because I was so hurt a lot by my mom for leaving me and my family when I was a little kid and I did the same thing to my own daughter.

Now I understand why my mom had to make such a decision...Hopefully there will be a day my daughter can understand and forgive me.

Webcomic: Escape From North Korea

February 20, 2026

By: Ju Ok Jeon

This webtoon, created by North Korean escapee Ju Ok Jeon, reflects the real risks many North Koreans face when fleeing their home in search of safety, dignity, and the chance to live freely.
‍

In the dead of night, a car pulls to a stop in the middle of one of Southeast Asia’s mountainous jungles. Two men exit the car and look around. They instruct the remaining passengers to also exit and continue on foot.

‍

A group of North Korean refugees exit the car. Among them are a brother and sister, both in their twenties, and an older grandmother. The youthful siblings are in good spirits while the rest of the group appears nervous. Walking through the jungle is the last stretch of their escape journey to freedom.

‍

A broker leading the group of North Korean defectors explains that they must cross the mountains and reach the escape boat by the end of the night, or the police will catch them at daybreak. The sister sets time on her watch.

‍

The North Korean refugees start walking in a single file line. They quickly start to grow weary from the humidity and difficult terrain. The brother checks on his sister.

‍

The sister reassures her brother that she is doing okay. The brother extends a helping hand to the North Korean grandmother, who is struggling on the difficult journey. The trio fall behind the main group of defectors.

‍

The elderly grandmother loses strength and falls. She implores that the siblings leave her behind, but they refuse. Grandma continues to struggle and falls several more times.

‍

The sister can just barely make out the light of the larger group of North Korean defectors ahead of them. The brother is carrying the grandma’s backpack; they are all exhausted. The sister says they should stop to rest.

‍

The grandmother, shaking from wearines, once again says to leave her behind. The sister and brother exchange resolute glances, and refuse to give up.

‍

The trio have lost sight of the rest of the North Korean escapees. Grandma collapses to the ground, unable to get up again. The sister checks her watch.

‍

The grandmother’s hand brushes across a bone laying on the floor of the jungle. Startled and exhausted, her vision blurs.

‍

The grandmother once again tells the siblings to leave her behind. Grasping the sister’s hand, she says they must live.

‍

The sister clasps grandma’s hands and says not to give up. The three North Korean defectors regain their composure and continue forward until they reach a sheer cliff in the middle of the mountainous jungle.

‍

The three North Korean defectors begin to scale the cliff, the brother carrying the elderly grandmother on his back. The sister makes it to the top; she urgently extends a hand to pull up her brother, who is losing his grip.

‍

The brother and grandmother slide partway down the cliff. The grandmother holds on to the brother with her arms around his neck; her grasp starts to choke him.

‍

The brother starts to panic. Color drains from his face.

‍

The sister yells out to her brother to hold on; she manages to grab his arm and pull them up the cliff. The three North Korean defectors collapse on the ground and catch their breath. The brother says he almost died.

‍

Daylight begins to creep over the side of the mountains. The three North Korean defectors wearily continue their escape journey, the two siblings propping up the grandmother by her arms over their shoulders. The grandmother expresses despair and wonders if choosing this journey was worth it; the sister says that they should live like human beings, even if just for a day.

‍

The three North Korean defectors discuss their choice to risk their lives for freedom. Sunlight begins to illuminate their faces. In the distance, a rooster crows for dawn. They say a desperate prayer.

‍

The sun is up. The grandmother says that she’s now free from North Korea and tells the siblings to continue without her.

‍

The North Korean grandmother holds the sister’s hands and smiles warmly.

‍

The sister’s resolve wavers, and she considers leaving the grandma to increase their chance of survival. She exchanges glances with her brother. They both know they can’t leave the grandmother after coming this far.

‍

The time is 7am. Under a blue sky, on the banks of a river in front of a boat, the rest of the group of North Korean refugees have gathered. They look around to see if everyone is accounted for and are about to depart.

‍

The group of defectors hear distant shouting from the edge of the jungle. The brother, sister, and grandma are running towards the river and yell for the boat to wait; they’ve just barely made it.

‍

The three North Koreans burst into tears of relief. The broker leading the group is happy to see that everyone survived the dangerous trek through the jungle. The boat departs.

‍

Amidst the beautiful scenery of Southeast Asia, the boat of North Korean refugees makes its way down the tree-lined river. In the sky, clouds have parted to reveal a double rainbow. The North Korean refugees have made it to safety and freedom.

‍

About the Artist

Ju Ok Jeon is a North Korean defector who escaped in 2013. Having lived under the Kim Jong Un regime in an oppressed land, she conveys—through webtoons and comics—how precious the values of freedom and dignity truly are, with both sincerity and storytelling power.

‍

Support Ju Ok’s work: @unistudio_juok

‍

‍

From Artist to Activist

As a kid in North Korea, Ju Ok was famous at school for one thing—drawing portraits of people passing gas. Her classmates flocked to her, asking to be drawn in exchange for snacks and even small amounts of money. Nothing made Ju Ok happier than to see people’s faces light up with a big smile, and to laugh together over her creations.

‍

But things came to a halt when a teacher pulled her aside for “disrupting the school environment” with her “unrevolutionary” drawings. Ju Ok’s art supplies were confiscated, and she was warned that her parents could be punished for failing to educate their children.

‍

“I vowed to never draw again because my simple drawings could bring harm to my family. But no matter how hard I studied or worked, opportunities were limited because my family belonged to the labor class. After a relative defected, my social classification [songbun] fell, leaving me destined for a life of forced labor. Realizing there was no hope or future, I decided to escape.”

‍

In freedom, Ju Ok found that there was a lack of public understanding and empathy about North Korean human rights. A few years ago, her husband, who is also an artist, encouraged her to try drawing again.

‍

“After being severely scolded as a child, I hated anything related to drawing. But when my husband told me I have talent, I got chills—thinking, ‘Did I actually used to like this?’‍
‍
‍Through illustration, I want to share the reality of North Korea I experienced, my journey toward freedom, and my resettlement in a free society—so the world can hear the voices of those who still long for freedom inside North Korea.”

‍

Ju Ok hopes her art will reach more people and increase support for this issue. In 2025, she participated in the LiNK English Speech Program to hone her storytelling and English speaking abilities.

‍

“The North Korean issue is not only a domestic matter on the Korean Peninsula but also a complex international issue. That is why it is vital to raise awareness globally—and for North Korean defectors to share their stories directly in English. LiNK’s program has played an important role in helping me move toward my life goals.”

‍

Reimagining North Korea’s Future

Liberty in North Korea helps North Koreans reach freedom and reach their full potential through programs that build their capacity to succeed and lead change. With the right support and tools, they’re sharing their stories, utilizing their talents, and building their careers with unwavering purpose—to create a future where every North Korean person can live free and full lives.
‍

Invest in the next generation of North Korean advocates, storytellers, changemakers, and entrepreneurs, like Ju Ok.

‍

Give Today

Your generous donation will rescue and support North Korean refugees

Donate Now

Learn more about the North Korean people

Awesome! You're subscribed!

Oh no! Looks like something went wrong.