Squid Game and the Stories of North Korean Defectors

October 18, 2021

Kang Sae-byeok from Squid Game as player 067 — *Via Netflix*

**Warning: Contains plot spoilers

Netflix’s Squid Game has taken the world by storm, becoming the platform’s most-watched show debut and infiltrating popular culture. The high-stakes thriller juxtaposes nostalgic kid’s games with brutal consequences, hooking viewers with a compelling cast and pointed social commentary.

One of Squid Game’s most captivating characters is Kang Sae-byeok, a tough-as-nails North Korean defector who wants nothing more than to reunite her family. While she and her little brother managed to safely reach South Korea, their father was killed during the border crossing and mother was captured.

Sae-byeok’s story reflects the real experiences of the North Korean refugees we work with who have risked everything for freedom. Many were separated from family, have little support when resettling, and face prejudice.

The Perils of Defecting

Crossing the heavily guarded border between North and South Korea is virtually impossible. Instead, refugees must escape through China and journey 3000 miles through a modern-day-underground-railroad to safety in Southeast Asia. This has only become more difficult with pandemic-related restrictions on movement and border lockdowns.

A map of the route through China and Southeast Asia that North Korean refugees travel to safety

If caught fleeing North Korea or arrested in China, which doesn’t recognize defectors as refugees, North Koreans will be sent back and face harsh punishment - brutal beatings, forced labor, and even internment in a political prison camp.

This is the reality that people like Sae-byeok’s mother face.

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Still, thousands of North Koreans have risked everything to seek a better life. An estimated 33,000 refugees have resettled in South Korea.

“I wasn’t sure if I would see my family again because of the possibility of getting caught while escaping to China. Before I left, I got some opium and carried it underneath the collar of my shirt so I could take it to kill myself in case I got caught.”

- Joy, escaped through LiNK’s networks in 2013

Continue reading Joy’s story to freedom here.

Difficulty Assimilating

Once they reach safety and begin their new lives, refugees face a new set of challenges. Some have described the experience as stepping out of a time machine, 50 years into the future. Amidst figuring out the everyday intricacies of modern life, many refugees are still coping with the trauma of their past.

In addition to struggling to make ends meet, Sae-byeok faces social pressure and stigma as a North Korean. She deliberately masks her North Korean accent around everyone except her brother and is subjected to remarks about being a “communist” and “spy.”

While it is not specified how her brother ended up in an orphanage, one can assume that Sae-byeok left him there in hopes that he’ll receive care and education that she cannot provide. Tragically, the difficulties of establishing a new life in South Korea separated her from her family once again.

Kang Sae-byeok and her younger brother at the orphanage in Squid Game — *Via Netflix*

“At first I struggled a lot. There were many times when I either didn’t understand South Koreans or they didn’t understand me due to our different accents and words...Another difficulty was loneliness…I still feel lonely from time to time. I really miss my family.”

- Hae-Sun, rescued while hiding in China in 2013

Read more from Hae-Sun’s experience starting a new life in South Korea here.

Working with Brokers

Hoping to bring her mother to South Korea, Sae-byeok was in contact with shady brokers who scammed her of her money. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars to fund these risky escapes, especially directly out of North Korea, and then from China to Southeast Asia.

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With the prize money from the games, Sae-byeok hoped to reunite her family and live under one roof again.

Kang Sae-byeok’s wish to use the prize money from Squid Game to reunite her family — *Via Netflix*

This is Not Where the Story Ends

Working with the right people who can help safely smuggle people across borders is the real deal. Liberty in North Korea helps North Korean refugees escape safely through a modern-day underground railroad, without ANY cost or condition.*LiNK’s rescue efforts begin in China

LiNK reunites families, supports their new lives in resettlement, and helps individuals, like Sae-byeok, reach their full potential in freedom.

When LiNK’s field staffer told me I was finally safe, I was overwhelmed. I had endured so much to make it this far - hard labor, imprisonment, and torture. And even though I was overjoyed to make it to freedom, I was deeply saddened that [my daughter] Hee-Mang wasn’t with me… I hold onto the dream that one day we will live together again.”

- Jo-Eun, escaped North Korea through LiNK’s network in 2018

Read the story of Jo-Eun’s journey to freedom here.

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When North Koreans successfully resettle, they become some of the most effective agents of change on the issue by sharing their stories with the world and sending money and information back to their families in North Korea.

Kang Sae-byeok’s story has come to an end, but you can do something to stand with the North Korean people today.

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→ Watch undercover footage from real rescue missions.

→ Read more stories from North Korean refugees.

→ Donate to make rescue missions possible.

→ Connect with the global movement for the North Korean people by following us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Webcomic: Escape From North Korea

February 23, 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.
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Support Ju Ok’s work: @unistudio_juok

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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.

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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.

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“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.”

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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.

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“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?’‍
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‍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.”

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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.

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“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.”

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

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