Across the Tumen

YEONG-DAE IS A YOUNG BOY WHO HAS TO BEG ON THE STREETS AS A KKOTJEBI JUST TO SURVIVE. HE CROSSES THE TUMEN RIVER TO FIND HIS SISTER, HIS ONLY SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBER.


The water was as cold as ice. The current was stronger than Yeong-dae had expected, making it hard to move forward. The further he moved toward the middle of the river, the deeper the water got. The river kept pushing him downstream. Yeong-dae put all of his strength into swimming ahead. Suddenly, a light began to shine. Yeong-dae stopped where he was and ducked his head underwater. If he made a sound or the flashlight beam found him, everything was over. He couldn’t let himself die, not like this!


“When I started reading this book, I found myself amazed that the author seemed to understand North Korean society even better than me—and I used to live there! I was sucked into the story, and it felt less like reading a novel and more like reliving my childhood and escape from North Korea. Around 25,000 North Koreans have defected to the South as of 2013, and it seemed like the heartbreaking tale of each defector was distilled into this story.” - Kim Young-il, president of PSCORE