These North Korean brothers spent 10 years planning their escape. Months after reaching freedom, everything changed
CNN • • world
Key Points:
- Two brothers, Kim Il-hyeok and Kim Yi-hyeok, executed a decade-long plan to escape North Korea by sea in May 2023, carrying their late father's ashes and evading strict maritime patrols near the Northern Limit Line.
- The family, including pregnant women and young children hidden in burlap sacks, navigated minefields and bribed guards to reach South Korean waters during a spring storm that provided cover for their escape.
- After successfully defecting, the family faced challenges adjusting to life in South Korea; tragically, Kim Yi-hyeok died in a scuba diving accident less than two years after gaining freedom.
- Kim Il-hyeok now trains as a chef and speaks publicly about North Korea, while continuing to build a new life in South Korea, recently welcoming a second child born in freedom.
- Their story highlights the risks and resilience of defectors fleeing North Korea, shedding light on the harsh realities within the reclusive regime.
 { path { fill: %23EEEFE9 } })