The ingenious plan by which two brothers managed to escape from North Korea: A near-miraculous escape followed by tragedy
CNN reported a rare story of survival, extreme risk and loss starring two North Korean brothers – who managed to escape to South Korea in 2023 with their entire family, an escape carefully planned for a decade.
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Kim Il-hyeok and Kim Yi-hyeok carried out a painstaking escape plan devised by their father, who has since passed away, for years; he left behind not only a material legacy, but also the hope of a life outside the North Korean regime. The brothers arrived in South Korea after a sea escape on the night of May 6, 2023, under cover of a strong storm in the Yellow Sea.
“There is no hope in this society… there is no way to change it,” Kim Il-hyeok remembers his father's words, the one who came up with the idea of escaping. “There's a big, free world out there. Let's go to South Korea.”
A family that learned to play a role
The brothers did not come from a fishing family. They lived far from the coast, in a system where any mistake could cost freedom or life. And yet, gradually, the family built a double existence.
One of the brothers was sent to work on the coast, where he learned the trade of a fisherman, bought a boat and gained the trust of the local authorities by building relationships and bribes.
To get out of North Korea, the fugitives had to cross what is known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL) – a tense and disputed maritime border between North and South Korea.
The waters near the border are rich in marine life, but few dare to fish there, as the area is heavily restricted and closely monitored.
The brothers started fishing close to the border line. “We were wondering: If they're chasing us, how fast can they catch us?”Kim Il-hyeok tells.
Thus, those forays became rehearsals for escape.
“When we were caught by the patrols, they treated us like we were the biggest criminals.”
For several years the family went out to sea under the guise of fishing, simulating routines that allowed them to study the patrols and reactions of the North Korean military.
Thus they detected a pattern: during the day, the patrols reacted quickly, but at night or when there was a warning of bad weather, the reaction times were slow.
When Kim and his brother were questioned over the years, they repeated the same story each time: they had bribed guards, begging them to let them fish near the NLL area, where the fish catch promised to be plentiful.
The Kim family was considered wealthy in North Korea, where international humanitarian organizations estimate that more than half the population lives in poverty.
“My father used to trade in antiques, gold and even sell coal transported by train,” Kim Il-hyeok told CNN.
The family thus had access to goods considered a luxury in North Korea, such as a large-screen television, officially registered with the North Korean authorities. But they also had one secretly bought in China, which they kept hidden.
Kim recounts that they had a makeshift antenna made of copper wire that they stretched out and moved around the house until they got a signal.
From their home near the South Korean border, the Kims could watch 10 channels broadcasting from Seoul, Kim recalls.
On the screen, they saw a world that seemed unreal: houses lit up at night, plenty of food, freedom of movement.
Kim's father died before the dream of escape became a reality. He left the money to his children, an inheritance that increased the Kim family's fortune and provided them with a shield against hard times.
“From 2015 to 2020, I ran a business that mainly dealt with home appliances,” he said.
Then came the pandemic.
“I started selling vegetables, fruits and basic agricultural products. During that time, many people died of hunger”Kim reported.
“Every day I heard stories of someone dying, being robbed, or being assaulted. I once bought rice for 4,000 won (about $4.44) per kilogram, and after just one night I could sell it for 8,000 won ($8.89) or even 10,000 won ($11.11). My business thrived. I wasn't the only one. Other merchants like me made a lot more money, while those who had nothing were even hungrier.”
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The night of the escape
In May 2023, weather conditions provided the ideal opportunity. Under cover of a storm, nine members of the family set out for freedom.
Women and children had to cross minefields as well, following pre-planned safe routes. Among them was Kim Il-hyeok's five-months-pregnant wife, along with his brother Kim Yi-hyeok's two children who were hidden in canvas bags.
“I was telling him we had to leave for the baby”Kim tells of the time he was trying to convince his wife to leave. “I was asking her if she wanted them to grow up here.”
Once on the boat, the family sailed with the engine modified to reduce noise, trying to avoid detection by North Korean maritime patrols. During the crossing, the children were completely silent, in an atmosphere of palpable tension.
“In North Korea, men can board a ship, but women can't” Kim explained. “Legally, if a woman boards a ship, she is immediately suspected of impure intentions, presumed to be trying to desert.”
“I was walking slowly, in the rhythm of an alert step on the floors,” says Kim. “At that speed, the radar only saw us as floating debris.”
“Only the engine could be heard. And my heartbeat was louder than his,” he recalls. “It was a silence I can't describe.”
As they neared South Korea, they saw the lights of Yeonpyeong Island.
It was bright as day, even though it was night, Kim recalls.
After about two hours at sea, they crossed the maritime demarcation line and were intercepted by South Korean naval forces.
A South Korean navy vessel approached and asked over the loudspeaker if they were having engine trouble.
“I replied, 'No, our engine is not broken. We are North Korean fishermen and we want to defect to South Korea.'”
“It felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders,” Kim confessed.
Freedom and its price
In South Korea, the family started a new life. However, adjusting to freedom was not easy. Some members described a sense of confusion and even the lingering feeling that they were still living in North Korea.
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Just a few months after they started a new life, the family was marked by a tragedy: one of the brothers died in a diving accident.
“I want to work hard to earn money so I can support my children's education and make sure they get a high level of education”said Kim Yi-hyeok at his niece's one-year anniversary, his last interview.
For Kim Il-hyeok, the escape remains both an achievement and an open wound. His brother lived only 10 months in freedom, and the contrast between the carefully constructed plan and the tragic ending is hard to process.
“It doesn't seem real”says Kim.
And yet, even in the midst of profound loss, Kim came to see the journey itself as a miracle—proof that survival can lead to new horizons.
Today, he is trying to rebuild his life, learning new jobs and speaking publicly about the reality of North Korea. He continues to share his story, hoping to shed light on a country that few truly understand.
“I consider myself one of the lucky ones,” he said after the birth of his second daughter in freedom in South Korea.
