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Chʻŏr-hwan Kang

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The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag Paperback – Illustrated, August 24, 2005

by Chol-hwan Kang (Author), Pierre Rigoulot (Author)

4.5 3,173 ratings

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"Destined to become a classic" (Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking), this harrowing memoir of life inside North Korea was the first account to emerge from the notoriously secretive country -- and it remains one of the most terrifying.

Amid escalating nuclear tensions, Kim Jong-un and North Korea's other leaders have kept a tight grasp on their one-party state, quashing any nascent opposition movements and sending all suspected dissidents to its brutal concentration camps for "re-education."

Kang Chol-Hwan is the first survivor of one of these camps to escape and tell his story to the world, documenting the extreme conditions in these gulags and providing a personal insight into life in North Korea. Sent to the notorious labor camp Yodok when he was nine years old, Kang observed frequent public executions and endured forced labor and near-starvation rations for ten years. In 1992, he escaped to South Korea, where he found God and now advocates for human rights in North Korea.

Part horror story, part historical document, part memoir, part political tract, this book brings together unassailable firsthand experience, setting one young man's personal suffering in the wider context of modern history, giving eyewitness proof to the abuses perpetrated by the North Korean regime.

Print length

238 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Basic Books
Publication date

August 24, 2005
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0465011047
ISBN-13

978-0465011049
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Aquariums of Pyongyang is one of the most terrifying memoirs I have ever read. As the first account to emerge from North Korea, it is destined to become a classic."―Iris Chang, authorof The Rape of Nanking

"A triumph against silence."―Financial Times

"A chilling testimony.... Freezes the heart and seizes the soul."―Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Kang Chol-Hwan is founder and president of the North Korea Strategy Center.

Pierre Rigoulot is a journalist, historian, and human rights activist living in Paris, France. He is the author of numerous books on the history of political repression and contributed the North Korean chapter to the bestselling The Black Book of Communism.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; 7/25/05 edition (August 24, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 238 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465011047
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465011049
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #541,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #52 in North Korean History
- #253 in General Asia Travel Books
- #15,702 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 3,173 ratings

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3,173 global ratings

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S. Warfield

Starvation is the norm

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2016

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With this book the tally of books about North Korea I've read must be nearing a dozen and I have many more in my TBR stack. What keeps me reading is the near disbelief that a country in the 21st century can be so paranoid beyond belief and that the people of North Korea live with a complete disregard for human rights that are violated on a daily basis. They are poor, often sick and malnourished. That the Communist regime under which they live keeps everyone under surveillance must make for a life of uneasiness. The author of The Aquariums of Pyongyang spent 10 years in a prison camp before escaping with a friend to China and then on to South Korea. Without rampant bribery with goods and cash he would have found it much harder to make it out. Whether the Dear Leader, at the time Kim Jung-Il, liked it or not, if cash was available it could buy goods on the black market.

Kang Chol-hwan and his family were sent to a prison camp by association with his grandfather who disappeared and was put in a camp for making statements against the regime. The rest of the family had done nothing wrong but they were sent to a camp after enjoying a wealthy life in Japan. They moved to North Korea at the grandmother's urging because she was a big believer in Communism, and at first they were moved into luxurious housing in Pyongyang. When they were in the camp it is hard to believe that any of them survived. I couldn't help but think about those people and especially Kang Chol-hwan when I went out this evening. It was 29 degrees F and I recall reading that the children worked outside as long as the temperature didn't go below -13 degrees F.

This book will open eyes to the strangest country and the most isolated country in the world, but it is inevitably going to crack one day and hopefully the people can join the rest of the world who will hopefully have compassion for them.

47 people found this helpful

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J B

A courageous, heartbreaking, eye opening, biography

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2015

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I work in the travel industry and have seen and worked with people from all over the world. One day it occured to me that I had never once met someone born in North Korea, this piqued my interest so I decided to do some research. I am in no way an expert on politics or foreign affairs or civil rights. I'm just a regular shmo who was curious about life in North Korea. Reading this book opened my eyes to a country I knew virtually nothing about. I ignorantly thought North Korea and it's leaders were just a bunch of punch lines to insensitive jokes. This book really gives the reader a glimpse into the everyday people of a nation utterly isolated from the rest of the world and denied everyday experiences many of us take for granted.

The book centers on one man born in North Korea to an affluent family with ties to Japan. He is a rare breed in the country as most North Koreans know only poverty and struggle. The book follows his early years, his families decline in favor and his ultimate imprisonment in one of North Korea's many horrifying prison camps. The majority of his young life and early adulthood is spent in one of these forced labor camps reserved for family members of citizens imprisoned in much stricter and terrifying conditions. His only crime was being related to someone the North Korean government deemed guilty of crimes against their great leader and country.

This book is unique in many ways. I've read several biographies now on life in North Korea written by prior citizens of DPRK who ultimately defected to non communist countries. This particular biography is one of the most interesting to me for several reasons. It's a story of a boy who experienced both extremes of North Korean living. He was born into a rich family that was well taken care of and had many privledges the majority of the country did not. He had a television, ample food, a large house and nice clothing. Where most other families were lucky to have enough to eat each day. This early life gave him a unique perspective gave the reader a fleeting glimpse into what the elite lived like in this communist regime. At the age of 10 he and his family were sent to a forced labor camp thus hurling him into a life which was the polar opposite of everything he knew. His description of his time in the camp is heart breaking, graphic and surreal. At such a young age to be treated worse than anything I could imagine in conditions no living thing should ever experience he managed to survive at any cost.

The book chronicles his life in the camp, his ultimate release, his life back in regular society during the infamous famine and his ultimate decision and journey to defect to the South. He also touches upon the difficulties of life in a westernized society and his experience transitioning to a country that viewed him not as an equal of Korean heritage but as a lesser version. Overall a bittersweet escape.

Mr. Kang has seen both extremes, the privledge and the horror of his birth country's communist regime. He experienced how fragile life, favor, and status can be in such a government. His tale is one of deep saddness, bravery and an infallible will to survive. While reading this book it's difficult to remember and keep in perspective that these events are true, that such a country exists that it isn't some made up cautionary fairy tale but rather a real life hunger games. These people lived this horror, they still live it today and we and the rest of the world barely even know about it.

I finished this book and instantly wanted to learn more and see what other people experienced and most of the books I've read are very similar. All the defectors are incredibly brave people who fought for their lives and their families and decided to escape and create new lives in a world they knew nothing about. In my opinion everyone should read this book, everyone should be made aware of the living conditions and the grotesque human rights violations that is their reality. Kim Jong Il, his father and his son, none of them are just silly little men ripe for parody. They are real monsters and they are causing suffering on a level I never could have imagined before reading this book. No country is perfect but it does put into perspective our lives and the way in which we live.

I've read many reviews on this book and several other biographies written by DPRK defectors and some concerns from readers are that details may have been exaggerated or embellished from these people's lives to make a more compelling biography. Perhaps they have, but even if only 25% of the horrors this book and other's like it describe are true than that's more than anything I can imagine. All of these people have experienced hardships we as westerners will most likely never know and they are brave enough to tell their stories in great detail. This book is an eye opener, it makes you appreciate the life we have, the freedoms we take for granted daily and the opportunities we are given everyday that others may only dream of. I recommend reading this book, to take the time to learn a bit about a country that so desperately wants to remain a secret. It inspired me to be thankful for my life, my luck and my world and inspired me to become more involved in organizations that can help others maintain and achieve all the civil rights every human being deserves.

18 people found this helpful

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Johnny C.

Great story, hopefully it will do some good.

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2012

Verified Purchase

This story comes off as being quite authentic. The author tells the majority of the story from the first person point of view. There are obvious things which he didn't witness such as his family's history prior to their move from Japan to North Korea, but these are only for background information. Everything about this book reveals how desensitized Kang became due to his upbringing, at least while he was in the camp. He explains how he was able to adapt and overcome. He pointed out how undevoted to the cause the security agents in the camp were, the soldiers, and other various officials in the North Korea government. Regardless, all people lived in fear of either their superiors, their friends who were often snitches, and their minders. Kang also displays the complete and total breakdown of the North's distribution and rationing system, the birth of an illicit market economy and the rampant corruption in the Stalinist-type system. When Kang speaks as a witness of camp 15, and says there are certainly much worse camps, it is terrifying to know that people at this very moment are still enduring what he and his family endured. Kang must feel some ambivalence towards his decision to flee the country after being released, as his family and particularly his sister have allegedly been sent back. It is very possible that his sister was condemned to the section of the prison for the un-redeemables, in other words, those who are sentenced to work to death on secret government programs. The worst part about the entire system is that guilt by association (which really was the reason his family was put away in the first place), is the norm. His entire family was put away for their grandfather's alleged political crimes. Nobody knows what happened to him. Hopefully Kang's story will have an effect for the good, and Kim Jong-un will be able to make much needed market reforms. Even if NK reaches the point of China, things will have improved one hundred fold.

8 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

GiGi Van )strand

great descriptive literature

Reviewed in Canada on November 19, 2021

Verified Purchase

I loved the description of the horrors pressed on the North Korean peoples and lets Americans know how fortunate they are to live in a free society which they often take for granted

Alan Reynolds

A moving account of life in and escape from North Career

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2024

Verified Purchase

I read this book by way of research and a fascination with what life is like in North Vietnam. It has confirmed my worst fears.
Something that struck me as I read it, was the lack of self pity that the author exhibits. Yes, he details the atrocities he has witnessed and experienced, but it’s done so in a factual rather than an emotional way which i found powerful. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the abuse of human rights, it will also make one realise how lucky we are that we don’t live under such a foul and utterly evil regime

william gersten

excelente

Reviewed in Mexico on January 26, 2020

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excelente

Rupendra

Book is about miserable lives of North Korean Citizens

Reviewed in India on July 26, 2020

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It's really worth to read which will give the historical view of North Korean citizens and their lives. How their great leaders have/had made the life of its own people miserable. There is no freedom and democracy which should be immediately attended and actioned by UNHRC and the popular world leaders.

One person found this helpful

nickthesnapper

A decent insight!.

Reviewed in Australia on October 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

With all the recent events regarding NK and president Trump I felt a need to look behind the presidential utterances and typical media spin.
This book is not a recent release but it renders a deep insight into the typical life of the NK population. An eye opener it was indeed!!, and a gripping story in so many ways. It has provided a background so I can make a better judgement of the recent twists and turns in the USA / NK media stories. My best wishes to the author and his desire to improve the lives of the North Korean population.

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