Escaping North Korea

This World tells the dramatic stories of North Koreans who risk everything, including torture and execution, to escape the repression and hunger of their homeland and reach safety in the south.

Escaping North Korea Monday, 6 April, 2009 1900 BST on BBC Two

The border between the two Koreas is so heavily guarded that refugees are forced to flee into China, dodging border guards and risking freezing to death crossing the river that divides the two countries.

Once in China they are forced to live secret lives, the women often sold into forced marriages or prostitution, because if discovered the Chinese authorities will send them back.

This film follows two women who have decided to embark on the next stage of the journey, a desperate attempt to reach South Korea.

For May it involves a 4,000 mile journey through the jungles of Laos and Thailand to claim asylum in Bangkok.

For Guem-Hee it means buying a fake passport and risking arrest at any moment. Both women tell moving stories of leaving loved ones behind in the biggest gamble of their lives.

This World will be broadcast on Monday 6 April at 1900 BST on BBC Two.

Producer: Jonathan Brunert

Executive producer: Lucy Hetherington

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version