N.Korean ‘Camp 14’ gulag survivor admits parts of story untrue

A North Korean gulag survivor whose torture and daring escape were detailed in a best-selling book has admitted that parts of his story are untrue, and said Sunday he may end his campaign against human rights abuses. Shin Dong-Hyuk spent the first 23 years of his life in a prison camp, which he recounted in the harrowing “Escape from Camp 14”. However, the 32-year-old recently changed some of the details in his story, Blaine Harden, the book’s author, said on his website. He apologised on his Facebook page on Sunday, saying he had “forever wanted to conceal and hide part of my past”.

I… forever wanted to conceal and hide part of my past. We tell ourselves that it’s okay to not reveal every little detail, and that it might not matter if certain parts aren’t clarified.

Shin Dong-Hyuk’s Facebook post

In Harden’s book, Shin says he was brutally burned and tortured when aged 13, after a failed attempt to escape the camp. But according to the Washington Post report, Shin now admits the event took place when he was 20. Shin also said in the book that he saw his mother and brother executed after he betrayed them, telling authorities in Camp 14 of their plan to escape in hopes of getting food as reward. But the report said Shin told Harden the executions actually took place when he and his family were in a different camp. Shin told Harden that that some of the ordeals had been “too painful” for him to revisit and he had “altered some details” that he had thought would not matter, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

The world still needs to know of the horrendous and unspeakable horrors that are taking place. These will be my final words and this will likely be my final post.

Shin Dong-Hyuk

World North Korea