Mi-ran

Mi-ran is a former resident of Chongjin who defected to South Korea with her family. In her interviews with Demick, she recalls the young romance she shared with Jun-sang, another one of Demick's subjects, and the pair's love story is a central thread throughout the book. Mi-ran, of a much lower social status than her boyfriend, had to avoid bringing dishonor to Jun-sang and thus became aware early on that their romance would never transform into a proper marriage.

Mi-ran's work as a teacher at a kindergarten introduced her to the suffering of many North Koreans during the famine, as she witnessed numerous students pass away or drop out of school because their parents could not feed them. She learned that to turn a blind eye to the children's suffering was her only mechanism for survival, as becoming emotionally invested in any of them meant she would...