North Korea’s ‘Return to Paradise’ nightmare 

I saw a sad story about 2 Korean brothers in Japan, of which 1 returned to NK. Before he left he told his brother to peel back the stamp of the letter he sends from NK. When the letter arrived, on the back of the stamp it said “don’t come”.

noticed her cousin's family barely even smiled in every photo

Thank you, Hyangsu Park, for sharing your family’s story. You fear that forgetting them means they’ll cease to exist even from memory, but by giving this interview, you have ensured that they are never forgotten. I hope that, wherever they are, your uncle, aunt, and cousins are reunited once more and have found their peace again ❤️

My heart hurts so much watching this. One can only imagine what she feels. It seems like she has no more tears to shed.

I remember watching another video wherein a young girl in Japan disappeared on her way home. Years later, someone tipped her family that North Koreans kidnapped her. Her family then consulted with the Japanese ambassador to talk to North Korea so there was so much tension between the two countries because North Korea denied knowing anything about it. Years passed by, her family members died one by one (of natural death and old age) and only her Mom and sister were alive, still searching for her. Then they got another lead, a photo shows the girl now in her 40s living in North Korea. But still, North Korea denied knowing anything despite the pressure from Japan. Eventually, the mother died, leaving the sister as the only living family member to search for the girl. More years passed, someone reached out to the sister and introduced herself as the daughter of the girl. Sadly, the girl has already passed away of old age and she apparently chose to stay in North Korea because she had a family of her own there already. Her daughter is also still in North Korea.

It’s horrible that the Red Cross helped the people leave Japan for N. Korea. Shameful.

The music volume often drowns out the dialog in this video. Subtitles save the day.

I can’t imagine living with the regret of knowing that you doomed your family + bloodline by moving to North Korea rather than staying in Japan. Such a gut wrenching story…

You cant blame the uncle. This before the internet, and actually before a lot was revealed. At this point most people actually thought North Korea was richer and more developed than the South.

She is extremely lucky that her side of the family didn't move to North Korea.

She is such an intelligent and eloquent interview subject and the video is wonderfully presented. Well done! But, please tell your sound guys the next time that music should never be louder than the interviewee's voice.

this is why you gotta be careful of those "the grass is greener" ads. gotta do your own deep research

My korean father in law died this year aged 100. He was born in North Korea but escaped to the south just before the war with his aunty. He was stopped at the boarder because he had no papers so his aunty told him to go back one station and walk over the boarder at night. He fought for the south and was wounded. He never wanted to go back even for a visit. Hope we can visit his hometown one day soon.

I feel bad for them, I guess it taught me in life to not blindly trust words like “motherland” and “fatherland” as a form of smoke and mirrors but rather to judge things with your own thoughts and judgment

What strikes me is how incredibly sad the cousins looked in the pictures, even BEFORE their father was taken. They were obviously not ever okay or happy and healthy… this is just awful. I don’t know how this county is still going.

This woman is brave for speaking up. Thank you SCMP for this video.

There is a book 'The Aquariums of Pyongyang' that talks about the Koreans who escaped to Japan during the war and how they were coerced into moving back to North Korea only to then realize they had moved to a prison they could not escape from.

Amazing story from Hyangsu Park. She's not the only one that's opening up about her story about North Korea and the exposure of it. But it's still sad that 30-60+ years later North Korean citizens still don't have freedom and rights and being abused by Kim Jong-Un and his past family members. One day Kim's empire will fall as nothing last forever.

Horrifying documentary. I feel so sorry for her and her family. BTW to the audio person in South China Morning Post: please balance the music and voices properly next time.

So heart breaking. I wish miracle happens to her family.

I remember falling into a rabbit hole wiki-reading about abductions of foreign nationals by the nk gov. It’s insane how many of these ‘abductions’ happen not just to zainichi koreans but multiple other foreign nationals and their gov doesn’t or can’t do anything about it

One of my relatives in Myanmar once told me, “north korea is nothing like what they are being portrayed in the media”. And this same lady told me that Myanmar was not ready for democracy (her family has ties with the military). The conversations were a few years before the coup. Now she wants democracy.

I can really relate to this story.. During the Korean War my grandmother took all her children(born and raised in Japan) to North Korea except for my mother as my father did not trust the Soviet Russia and communism. My grandmother believed the communist propaganda as many intellectuals did at that time. My father went onto building air fields for the US Air Force. We also found out later one of my uncle who had to go to North Korea with my grandmother died shortly after during the Korean War fighting for North Korea. Just a 19 years old boy. For many years until her passing my mother lived with the pain and guilt of being only one to enjoy the freedom in South Korea and North America..

The saddest and most heartbreaking story that many are going through. My prayers and best wishes to her and those who are hurting inside because of this.

"Mr Kim" was probably either one of the Secret Police, or one of the people in that room who ended up cooperating with the Secret Police.

Great short documentary, shame propaganda was taught in Korean schools in Japan during those decades. I also read a report that the Japanese government were also willing to send many Korean peoples out of Japan, so they worked with the North Korean Gov. to organise ferry services.

The pictures they took as a family, there are no smiles. This is so sad.

Seriously, what's with the music volume? Makes the whole thing hard to watch.

What a horror movie it must have been for these families who made the journey, only to find desolation and repression.

So sad. Life is so cheap to satisfy a madman’s ego.

this is heartbreaking. to think there's about 94,000 more stories like this 💔😢😢

This was really well done. Very interesting. Hyangsu Park was a great speaker for this topic.

My mom was born in Japan in 1928. She was educated by a government dominated by the Japanese Army, taught about the divine superiority of the Japanese, as well as the inferiority of Koreans. She blamed them for the fires that consumed Tokyo after the 1923 Kanto Earthquake. (It was actually the tinder-dry paper and wood construction os small villages and cities, easily set alight by a match.). Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945. Although my friend and I were born in Hawaii to Japanese mothers, he was ingrained with the contempt from birth. So it persists to this day, even in whispers. I feel the alienation of ethnic Koreans in Japan and elsewhere. And a longing for a North Korea that never existed. I empathize with her pain and frustration, and hope she can come to terms with it.)

"...moved to North Korea" is possibly of the most disconcerting sentences I have ever heard.

A very touching story. I know people who have been to North Korea as well as immigrants from there. A friend of mine who lives in Inner Mongolia told me that her parents immigrated to China in the late '80s, just before she was born. She says that they are very much against the regime that they left behind. I didn't get any specifics from her, but she made it sound like they were very happy to be in the relative freedom of China.

My heart is in deeply sadness while watching this kind of story. 😢

What a brave lady. Was a pleasure to listen to your words

I'm so glad that you told their story. Sad as it is the world needs to know.

What a very touching story. Thank you for being brave enough to tell the story of your life to the world.

So sad to see that her brother was taken away never to be seen again. This gulag must be freed!

My heart shrank thinking of the plight of her uncle and his poor family as well as his sister, the narrator's mother. But I took a small measure of comfort thinking they are all gone and no longer suffering and there are no more later generations who will endure the same fate. I hope North Koreans one day will be freed from their yoke of oppression.

Heartbreaking. I wish you success in your efforts to honor your relatives by your work.

This is heart wrenching. I can't believe a country would treat its people like this. There is no easy answer, but obviously it will take powerful countries to make the changes that are needed. 😢

It’s sad to see people in North Korea 🇰🇵 suffer but we have little or nothing to help them with. As an African and a Ghanaian 🇬🇭 I hope things change for them

South Korea School : *"The people of the school are bullies"* North Korea School : *"bullies? What is a bullies?"*

Thanks for your story don't ever forget your family because your story is one of the stories that maybe one day we'll bring peace to lots of North Koreans like you stay strong❤

"The fatherland (or an institution) will provide everything you need." If you hear this from someone trying to talk you into joining an entity, RUN. It's such a typical cult statement.

Music too loud. No music would be better.

It's like China during the Cultural Revolution, but the Cultural Revolution only lasted 10 years (1966-1976, with the first 6 years being the worst). In North Korea, this has gone on for over 70 years.

Nice documentary production, although wity "situation" you still deliver the best

Thank you for sharing this story. You have my profound condolences for what is such a terrible tragedy.

A very powerful testimony by an articulate individual. She shows her Korean heritage in her stoic narration, but her humanity is always present as well. That regime cannot fail too soon, but the associated chaos will be heart rendering.

Great story but the music is too loud. It's really distracting unfortunately.

If a country doesn't allow you to freely leave that should be enough evidence that it isn't paradise

Thank you for sharing your story, I hope everything in your situation gets better ❤

WoW, this is truly one of the best documentaries I have ever watched. It has made me all the more educated, and I appreciate that enrichment. I am glad I watched this video. 💯LIKES!

Hyangsu Park, you are such a beautiful person. I wish that you find relief and peace for your heart.

This is heart-breaking. I pray for North Korea people to get back their freedom.

Such a shame that people in North Korea would be tortured just because of a drunken relation says something bad about North Korea. So sad.

The world needs to hear this

The music drowned out the dialogue at certain points in this video.

What a well spoken woman on a terrible tragedy that happened I thank you sharing

Thank you Hyangsu, for sharing your story.

Thank you for sharing your story ❤

So sad about what happened to your family but the moral of the story is you always need to analyse a situation. Who was paying for the school and the person financing the school is imposing their line of reasoning. The same implies in many walks of life including food advertising and reports. You always need to look who is behind the financing. So it was normal that this happened and unfortunately these Korean families did not have any other sources of information to give them another narrative.

Wow this made me tear up. I hope she will see one of her family members again one day.

I appreciate your pain, your story. Speak loudly.

Thanks for making this documentary video 🙏

The photo at 14.44 says it all. The attempted smile by the cousin on the left , the hopelessness of the cousin in the middle. The CRUELTY of the vile North Korean leaders and the moral vacuum of their supporters should shame and punish them in the future.

Sad about her family and many others family who live in North Korea 😢😢😢❤️❤️❤️

And after all this, she's still smiling. What a wonderful, strong woman.

This is incredible. Thank you

She truly is a strong , inspirational woman to endure such pain an still remain hopeful . ❤ Gid bless her 🙏

i cant imagine oppressing your own people so harshly.

Powerful film. Thank you.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="144">2:24</a> what amazing music is this? Peace and love for all ❤🕊

Weird that red cross at that time repatriated the Koreans from Japan to North Korea.

I'm praying that Ms. Park's message can get out and that even one of her family members sees this and can reunite with her

She is a beautiful lady with a beautiful soul. Her story carries so much heartbreak and confusion. My heart goes out to her and other families out there. ♡

Heart Breaking. What An Amazing Woman. Sending Much ❤️❤️❤️ From 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧

Your education did let you down. It is a testimony to your decency and loyalaty to truth that we are able to hear your story. Thank you 👏👏👏

This is so emotional. So awful, I feel for them.

Heartbreaking story, but very well done video.

This simply reminded of Khmer Rouge regim in Cambodia I've heard from my parents and grandparents. I cry along this story

Such tyranny, many suffered and killed. Such sadness..😢

So sad 😢😪... she might look feelingless while telling her story but actually also have another feeling, a hope for their return. Such mixed feelings is not easy ⅔²²⁴

Heartbreaking

I am afraid of what will happen to HER (interviewee) family in North Korea after this interview…😢😢😢

It’s concerning that the Red Cross would have “helped” these Japanese-Koreans to return to a country with no freedom and an oppressive regime.

The North ( severe poverty) and South ( extreme wealth ...the young enjoying the freedoms of the K-pop culture, are just absolute poles apart now. Any Reunification will be so very traumatic.

Such a heartbreaking story 💔

What a crazy story. The music in the background was way too loud tho.

The music must play louder.

That is so sad.

This place in Japan is almost like a cult…

My heart is 💔😭

Tragic.

When you’ve exhausted all the means possible to achieve your goal only to end up empty-handed, the most you can do is “hope for the best”. 😢

As stoic as I usually am, this is heartbreaking.

Thank you for sharing your story. I hope that you find peace and that someday you are reunited with your family. ❤