CSW's Campaign Manager shares the story of one young man who was born and grew up in a North Korean prison camp, and who is passionate about bringing freedom to his people.
Meeting Shin
I met Shin Dong-hyuk in 2011 when CSW brought him to the UK to tell his story to politicians, Christian leaders and in churches. If you didn't know his story, you could easily miss the emotional and physical scars he carries from growing up in a North Korean prison camp. As he told his story to the CSW team one morning, and we had the chance to pray with him for his nation, I couldn't help but be moved by meeting this extraordinary young man.
So, let me tell you his story...
Born in a prison camp
Shin Dong-hyuk was born a political prisoner. His father had been arrested in 1965 and, along with the entire family, was taken to camp No. 14, operated by the State Security Agency (SSA). As a reward for working so well, his father was told that he would be allowed to wed a female inmate. They became husband and wife from that time on and Shin was born in 1982. His brother was a few years older than him, but he only saw him three or four times and has little memory of him.
Separated from his mother
Shin's mother was a farmer, working from 5am -11pm. He faintly remembers toddling his way to her work, but she was always so busy that she did not have any time to show him her love. Shin went to primary school in the camp, where around 400 children were taught.
Teenage years bring hard labour
When Shin was twelve years old he was sent to middle school to work. He was separated from his mother and had to stay with the other children. As a teenager, Shin worked on the installation of a power plant and saw many children killed by accidents. In one of these, three plumbers were working high up on a tall cement wall with children helping them with mortar below. Shin saw the cement wall falling and shouted a warning but it was too late! Eight people were buried under many tons of mortar. No rescue work took place. The security officers just shouted, "Don't stop your work and keep working!"
His mother's escape attempt leads to torture and death
On 6 April 1996, Shin was hand-cuffed, blindfolded and driven to an unknown location. He was told that his mother and brother had tried to escape from the camp. The next day he was taken to a chamber, full of all kinds of torture instruments. He was told to confess the truth about who started the escape plan but he knew nothing about it. During his initial ordeal someone started a charcoal fire and brought it just under his back. He struggled to avoid the flames and blacked out. He continued to suffer torture and after seven months in an underground cell without sunshine, Shin was taken with his father to see his mother hang and his brother executed by firing squad.
Escape - ecstasy to be out of the camp
After the execution of his mother and brother, Shin was again separated from his father and a target of constant discrimination. A new prisoner who had travelled abroad told him about the outside world. On 2 January 2005, he was sent to collect firewood and he found himself before the barbed wire camp fence. While the other prisoners were busy collecting firewood he ran to it and passed through it, with his new friend. He pushed himself forward through the fence and looked around to see the fence behind him. Shin escaped that day, but his friend died. Although Shin remembers his friend with sadness, he was overwhelmed with joy to be free and said, "the feeling of ecstasy to be out of the camp was beyond description".
Following Shin
While in the UK with CSW, Shin met the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Minister of State at the Foreign Office and several high-profile MPs. Watch CSW's film, Following Shin, to see the impact that he had on those he met while he was in the UK.
Extracts of Shin's testimony - Copyright 2002 - 2012 by Life Funds for North Korean Refugees, an NGO
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