--- product_id: 48453139 title: "This Is Paradise!: My North Korean Childhood" price: "179.38 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48453139-this-is-paradise-my-north-korean-childhood store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # Cross-border escape through 3 countries Rare firsthand North Korean childhood account Illustrated personal memoir This Is Paradise!: My North Korean Childhood **Price:** 179.38 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📖 Unlock the hidden story of a childhood in 'paradise' — before it was anything but. ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** This Is Paradise!: My North Korean Childhood - **How much does it cost?** 179.38 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48453139-this-is-paradise-my-north-korean-childhood) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Epic Journey to Freedom:** Follow an 18-year-old’s courageous escape through China, Vietnam, and Cambodia to South Korea. - • **Childhood Under Surveillance:** Discover the chilling school indoctrination, propaganda, and survival tactics of a young boy. - • **Unfiltered North Korean Reality:** Experience a rare, illustrated glimpse into life behind the world’s most secretive regime. - • **A Must-Read for Global Awareness:** Join a growing community demanding truth and empathy for North Korean lives. - • **Resilience in the Face of Famine:** Witness the heartbreaking impact of starvation and loss during North Korea’s devastating famine. ## Overview This Is Paradise!: My North Korean Childhood is a compelling, illustrated memoir by Hyok Kang, who escaped North Korea at 18. It offers an unprecedented personal perspective on life under a rigid communist regime, revealing the harsh realities of indoctrination, famine, and survival. Kang’s journey through multiple countries to freedom is a powerful testament to resilience and courage, making this book essential for anyone seeking to understand the human side of one of the world’s most secretive nations. ## Description Hyok Kang was eighteen when he escaped from North Korea, a country locked away from the outside world. This personal, illustrated account of school days in a rigidly communist institution and everyday life with his family and community provides a rare glimpse of this secretive nation. His shocking and moving portrayal bears witness to this spirited young boy's resilience and survival in a society forced to operate under the shadow of labour camps, public executions and the deception of UN representatives by Korean officials. When the famine comes so too does death by starvation of friends and close ones, and Hyok Kang watches as his classmates drop out of school one by one, too weak to attend. All this is normal. After all, the propaganda North Koreans are fed by their government insists that compared to the rest of the world, this is paradise! Hyok Kang's childhood and courageous escape through China Vietnam and Cambodia to South Korea is a remarkable story that goes to the heart of a nation living under a disturbing delusion of 'paradise'. Review: A child's perspective makes all the difference, wonderful and easy read! - The stories from his North Korean childhood are amazing. We see the propaganda, the harsh school life, the struggle to find food. His resilience and his natural skepticism is so potent and intriguing that it makes for fantastic reading. Stories of catching rats and how to survive the devastating famine still lingers in my mind. The things that really struck me about his memories are the excerpts from his school textbooks, the self criticism sessions and his life outside of NK. The school material is both hilarious and chilling. They are taught math, history and spelling all with references to the imperialist american bastards and the south korean puppets. I don't think I would be able to handle the criticism and self-critiscism sessions, especially as a child. The mistrust and unpleasantness it inspires in horrible. But what really made me hurt was his reality once he escaped to South Korea. The bullying, the gang affiliation, the lack of romantic attention and the derision of a people so far removed from each other, it would be like going to school with an alien. It is a long long walk to get to freedom and happiness for the Korean people. Wonderfully written, so easy and accessible that it was a joy to acquaint myself with. Would absolutely reccommend to a novice North Korean scholar. Review: A must read for all - Quite simply I'm very glad I made the decision to read this book. I am aware of what little coverage the suffering of North Koreans get in the media and even disgusted at the mockery that is made of their terrible situation. I did read this knowing a fair bit about the North through watching documentaries of undercover reporters secretly filming in and around the country. But even so, I learnt so much from this book. At parts, it seemed so extreme for a moment you forget it's real. Yet it is and that's why it's important the world reads this fascinating account for itself. Other reviews did not rate this book, and some could argue that 'lost in translation' is the case (as is in any translated story) but I've read a multitude of accounts since (the television programs are most shocking), all of which claim very similar experiences under the strict North Korean regime. A compelling read and a must have for anyone who has any care for humanity. ## Features - New Store Stock ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 1,347,659 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 280 in East & South East Asian Historical Biographies 8,290 in Social & Urban History Biographies 29,117 in World History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 90 Reviews | ## Images ![This Is Paradise!: My North Korean Childhood - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71zBawo+6yL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A child's perspective makes all the difference, wonderful and easy read! *by S***S on 20 March 2014* The stories from his North Korean childhood are amazing. We see the propaganda, the harsh school life, the struggle to find food. His resilience and his natural skepticism is so potent and intriguing that it makes for fantastic reading. Stories of catching rats and how to survive the devastating famine still lingers in my mind. The things that really struck me about his memories are the excerpts from his school textbooks, the self criticism sessions and his life outside of NK. The school material is both hilarious and chilling. They are taught math, history and spelling all with references to the imperialist american bastards and the south korean puppets. I don't think I would be able to handle the criticism and self-critiscism sessions, especially as a child. The mistrust and unpleasantness it inspires in horrible. But what really made me hurt was his reality once he escaped to South Korea. The bullying, the gang affiliation, the lack of romantic attention and the derision of a people so far removed from each other, it would be like going to school with an alien. It is a long long walk to get to freedom and happiness for the Korean people. Wonderfully written, so easy and accessible that it was a joy to acquaint myself with. Would absolutely reccommend to a novice North Korean scholar. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must read for all *by H***A on 29 December 2013* Quite simply I'm very glad I made the decision to read this book. I am aware of what little coverage the suffering of North Koreans get in the media and even disgusted at the mockery that is made of their terrible situation. I did read this knowing a fair bit about the North through watching documentaries of undercover reporters secretly filming in and around the country. But even so, I learnt so much from this book. At parts, it seemed so extreme for a moment you forget it's real. Yet it is and that's why it's important the world reads this fascinating account for itself. Other reviews did not rate this book, and some could argue that 'lost in translation' is the case (as is in any translated story) but I've read a multitude of accounts since (the television programs are most shocking), all of which claim very similar experiences under the strict North Korean regime. A compelling read and a must have for anyone who has any care for humanity. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Brilliant and quick to read *by E***A on 17 April 2017* Insightful and interesting with a straighforward look at North Korea citizens during the famine of the 90's. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48453139-this-is-paradise-my-north-korean-childhood](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/48453139-this-is-paradise-my-north-korean-childhood) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-08-05*