North Korean Defector Who Swam South Across River Returned Same Way 3 Year's Later

The Parents of Some of the Soldiers Under Han’s Command Worked on the Famous Ginseng Patches of Kaesong, and He Asked Them to Bring Some Ginseng Back for Him When They Returned from Holidays at Home – Which He Then Traded to South Koreans for Daily Necessities, Including Lingerie.

The Danish Chef Who Spent 10 Year's Spying on North Korea

Han’s Family Travelled to the Southern Chinese Province of Yunnan, Crossed the Border to Laos and Eventually Reached Thailand, Where They Entered the South Korean Embassy. but Han Did Not Know This – When He Returned Home in April 2008, It Was as If His Family Had Disappeared.

Will Kim Jong-Un’s Sister Really Take over North Korea If He Dies?

With the Remuneration, Han Bought 9,000 Square Metres of Land in the Southern County of Seosan, Where He Settled with His Family – Including His Daughter, Who Married Her Boyfriend in 2012, After He Fled the North with His Widowed Mother.

In Moon’s Korea, Defectors from North Face Jail for Propaganda Fliers

Since Then, He Has Kept a Discreet Distance from Others in the Area. “That’s Okay Because I Am Too Busy to Mind What Others Think of Me, ” He Said, Proudly Pointing to His Greenhouses and Facilities for Drying Tobacco Leaves.

Life After Kim: Inside the Schools Catering to North Korean Defectors

But Han’s Daughter, 32-Year-Old Han Ock, Said She Had Never Regretted Coming to the South.

Lingerie, Secret Tunnels, and Chickens: a North Korean Defector’s Tale

By Sophia Al-Mansoor

• Oct 8, 2026 • 7 min read

Lingerie, Secret Tunnels, and Chickens: a North Korean Defector’s Tale

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

“In the Beginning, We Stuck to the Rules and Stayed Away from Southerners. but We Are All Humans and We Naturally Became Close to Each Other as Time Passed By, ” Han, 63, Told This Week in Asia in His First Sit-Down Interview.

Sophia Al-Mansoor

Global Business & E-Commerce Reporter

Sophia analyzes international trade, startup ecosystems, retail transformation, and supply chain logistics for modern digital publications.

Tags: lingerie secret tunnels and chickens north korean defectors tale