About the Book : The Hard Road Out : One Womans Escape From North Korea
North Korea is an open-air prison from which there is no escape. Only a handful
of men and women have succeeded.
Jihyun Park is one of these rare survivors. Twice she left the land of the
'socialist miracle to flee famine and dictatorship.
By the age of 29 she had already witnessed a lifetime of suffering. Family
members had died of starvation; her brother was beaten nearly to death by
soldiers. Even smiling and laughing was discouraged.
The first time she ran, she was forced abandon her father