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They went seeking paradise. Instead, they found a living hell

From 1959 to 1984, some 93,000 people set out on an exodus. They were promised paradise, but ended up trapped in North Korea. Survivors have won an initial victory, but still face an uphill battle.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Anthony Kuhn is NPR's correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea, reporting on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and the great diversity of Asia's countries and cultures. Before moving to Seoul in 2018, he traveled to the region to cover major stories including the North Korean nuclear crisis and the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster.
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