A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea

On a stormy night, Masaji Ishikawa stands at the Yalu River, the heavily guarded border between North Korea and China. Torrential rain flooded the river, rendering it impassable. Starved and weary, Masaji loses consciousness. He wakes and reflects on the perilous crossing ahead, wrestling with the guilt of leaving his wife and children behind. The promise to ensure their survival compels him forward. Determined to escape or die trying, he surveys the riverbank for guards and plunges into the churning river.

Masaji rejects the concept of fate, emphasizing personal agency in overcoming life’s hardships. Masaji Ishikawa, the son of a Japanese mother, Miyoko Ishikawa, and a Korean father, Do Sam-dal, introduces himself with both his Japanese name and his Korean name, Do Chan-sun. Raised in Japan by his mother, he and his three sisters—Eiko, Hifumi, and Masako—enjoy a happy childhood despite financial struggles and an absent father. Do Sam-dal, like many Koreans, was recruited to work in the war effort in Japan during World War II. With limited opportunities, he turned to crime to survive and gained a reputation as a ruthless gang leader.