North Korea

North Korea is the country where Yeonmi lived until she was thirteen years old. She best remembers this country being cold and dark. She and her family were often hungry. Just a few days before she was to leave for China, she became sick and had to have an operation. Her mother had to buy anesthesia for the surgery from the black market. Because she did not buy enough medicine, Yeonmi woke up while the doctors were still operating. They continued the surgery without anesthesia even though Yeonmi was in agony. Keum Sook was further convinced the government was pitiless and that her family had no hope there when she saw the bodies piled up in the hospital courtyard. She was told the government would only come to remove them when there were several of them.

China

China is the country to which Yeonmi, Eunmi, and...