“Kim Il-sung had promised North Koreans three bowls of rice every day. Rice, especially white rice, was a luxury in North Korea. It was a magnanimous promise that was impossible to fulfill for all but the elite. However, the public… — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
A North Korean soldier would later recall a buddy who had been given an American-made nail clipper and was showing it off to his… — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
“While the Chinese Red Guard also rooted out “capitalist roaders” during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, it resulted in a chaotic… — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
“Chang-bo took to his bed, or rather to the quilts on the floor that was all they had left. His legs swelled up like… — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
“He was polite, respectful, not daring even to hold Mi-ran’s hand until they’d been dating for three years.” — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
“As she sat alone in the apartment, the enormity of it all started to sink in. Any hope that the North Korean regime might… — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
“The more there was to complain about, the more important it was to ensure that nobody did.” — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
“It is axiomatic that one death is a tragedy, a thousand is a statistic. So it was for Mi-ran. What she didn't realize is… — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
“Kim Il-sung had promised North Koreans three bowls of rice every day. Rice, especially white rice, was a luxury in North Korea. It was… — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
“Chinese Red Guard also rooted out “capitalist roaders” during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, it resulted in a chaotic reign of… — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
“It is worth noting here how extraordinary it was for anyone to be homeless in North Korea. This was, after all, the country that… — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
“Supervisors routinely fabricated statistics on agricultural production and industrial output because they were so fearful of telling their own bosses the truth. Lies were… — Barbara Demick Copy Share Image
