Under the Same Sky (35 page)

I would like especially to thank some of my generous supporters who have made it possible for me study and live in New York City: Terry and Gregor Hong, Bernard and Christine Moon, Dave Park, PJ Kim, Peter Kang and Seiwook Lee, Eliot and Jen Kang, Jensen and Juhee Ko, Cathy Danchik, Edie Weiner, and Julia Rhee.

Eddie
hyung
and Mr. D (Eddie Song and Damon Adams): although I may not express it often, you have both been incredible mentors to me and have helped me grow immensely both personally and professionally. Eddie, I am thankful that you always expected perfection from me. Your tough love and your belief in my potential always encouraged me and pushed me to work harder. Mr. D, thank you for showing me what it means to remain optimistic even during the most difficult times. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who is as tenacious as you.

Meghan Song and the Saulsbury family: Thank you for always welcoming me into your home and treating me like a part of your family. Mr. (David) Song: You remind me of my father when I listen to your wisdom and advice. It makes me wonder what it would be like to speak to him if he were alive now. Mrs. (Julie) Song: I am so blessed to have you in my life—you are always feeding me, worrying about my health, and you truly treat me like your own son.

To my LiNK
noonas
Jimin Oh, Jane Chung, Lori Kim, and Carrol Chang: You were there to welcome me when I first arrived in America and I will never forget how much you loved and cared for me. Thank you for always supporting me and cheering me on. Eunice
noona
(Eunice Lim): I can’t wait to tell Bong Sook one day how much you and Sam
hyung
took such good care of me, as if I were your own brother. You are always praying for me and reminding me of God’s love. Thank you for not letting me forget.

To my two best friends, Asein Ta and Ming Zheng: Thank you for standing by my side at times when I’m sure others would have left me. John
hyung
(John Park): I am inspired by your generosity and humility. The day we first met, you assured me that I could always count on you. Thank you for always being there for me as my brother, just as you promised. PJ Kim: From traveling with me to interviews to helping me with speeches, I am thankful for your constant support and wisdom. Justin Wheeler: You have been a great friend and brother to me, and I am humbled by your sacrifice and your work to inspire a generation of young people to care for my people. Sokeel Park: I never say it enough, but I really appreciate how hard you work and how much you love the North Korean people. Thank you for helping me whenever I need something, for making me laugh, and for always being there for me as my
hyung
.

To my special
noonas
in South Korea, Jamie Hong and Hailey Lee: I will never forget spending the summer of 2009 with you in California, or the first time I had the
dong geu rang ddeng
you made for me. Thank you for always caring about me and checking up on me. Jennifer Welsch and Matt Wood: I’ll never forget going to Yosemite and traveling to Westside Ministries, UIUC, and other events and conferences together. Jenn, you always were a great sister to me, and Matt, you were always so encouraging.

Elliot Lee: You have provided me with helpful guidance on things I wouldn’t have otherwise known. Thanks for traveling with me, helping me to go suit shopping, and teaching me many things. William Kim: Thank you for always picking up my calls when I needed you. You have provided me with advice, constructive feedback, and encouragement throughout the years. David Park: I am thankful for your unwavering support and for taking me to my first live European soccer game in Yankee Stadium—it was unforgettable! Ji Un Kim: Thanks for making sure I always had food to eat. Paul Suk Jae: The first time I ever visited New York, you picked me up from Chinatown and took me all around the city and spent several days with me. Thanks for your hospitality and for helping me prepare for an exam. Andy Kim: I’ll always appreciate how you would call me out of the blue to see if there was anything I needed. Daniel Pincus and La Wang: I am grateful for your friendship and for the many friends and influential people you have gone out of your way to introduce me to.

I want to thank all past, present, and future LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) interns, nomads, and staff who have dedicated their lives to the lives of the North Korean people. Thank you for believing in us. You inspire me with your determination and commitment to bring justice, peace, and liberty to North Korea. Please keep up your hard work—you are the hope for so many North Korean people who have lost their hope.

To Marianna Tu and Bryan Garcia at America Needs You: Thank you so much for your calls and emails, constantly checking up on me and helping me to stay strong. You always encourage me to fulfill my dreams, and because of that I truly believe one day I will.

To my friends who have been there for me throughout the years, thank you for continually praying for me and staying in touch: Andrew Lovely, Kenneth Hau, Hannah Ryu, June Park, and Stephanie Cho. I also want to acknowledge these friends who have brought me tremendous support at different times in my life and have always accepted me as I am: Robert Young, Sung Kook Oh, Danny Lee, Yeon Jeong Kim, Cameron Lee, Julie Han, John Kim, Scott Yang, Lyn Kim, Edward Cheng, Julie Lam, Morgan Porter, Hwang Bin Im, Jason Oh, Harim Lee, and Gabe Cruciani.

A huge thanks to everyone who made this book possible, including Terry Hong for the introduction, Scott Waxman for your ongoing encouragement and support, Bruce Nichols for your tireless help with all the editing, and Joan Cho for your help in proofreading and correcting Korean names and geographical locations.

To my coauthor, Stephan Talty: I’m not sure I could ever express quite how grateful I am to you. Because of you, my story and the stories of millions of other North Koreans will not be forgotten. Thank you for your friendship and your patience with me throughout this process, and for your commitment to helping me tell my story as thoroughly and accurately as possible. I hope, through your beautiful writing, that others may come to have a more compassionate perspective of the North Korean people.

For those I have forgotten or did not mention here, please forgive me and know that I am so thankful for every person who has helped me along the way. Without you, my story would not be possible.

And finally, to my sister, Bong Sook:
Noona,
it has been more than ten years since we separated and since I last saw you. I wish you were here with me now—you would be so surprised by how much I have grown up. I do so many things now that I couldn’t do before. I cook my own meals, I wash my own clothes, and I even iron my dress shirts myself. I can’t wait to do some of these things for you, just like you always did for me.
Noona,
you probably don’t know this, but I went to China to look for you. Sometimes I wonder, if I had escaped just a few days earlier, could I have found you? Would our lives have turned out differently and would we be together? Sung Ryul died two days before I made it to his house, and I felt that the whole world turned black. Why did it seem like I was always just a few days late? After I left North Korea, my journey was so difficult, but I met many good people along the way who helped me. What was your journey like, and were there good people to help you too? Since coming to America, I wanted to find a way I could honor Father, so I studied hard and did my best to try to figure out how we could prevent stories like ours from happening to other families in North Korea. I still have so much to learn, but I am determined to make my hope of a better future for our people into a reality.
Noona,
I wonder if we’ll ever be together again. Will we have a chance to make up for all the time we have lost? Sometimes I lose hope and want to give up, but I never have. I never will. I know we will find each other again, and I will work hard to make that day come as soon as possible. Please wait for me. I love you.

J
OSEPH
K
IM
was born in North Korea in 1990. In 2007 he came to the United States, where he completed high school. He is currently a college student in New York City.

S
TEPHAN
T
ALTY
is the coauthor of several works of narrative nonfiction, including
A Captain’s Duty
, the inspiration for the film
Captain Phillips
.