SEOUL — “32 Years as Defector: From Crossing Tumen River to Sydney,” a new book detailing the harrowing 32-year journey of a North Korean defector, was released Monday, as announced by its publisher, Gold Egg Inc. The narrative, penned by Yonhap News Agency reporter Kim Jae-hong, traces the protagonist Eddie’s perilous escape from North Korea and his subsequent life in South Korea and Australia.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the book employs a novelistic style with Eddie as the central character, offering a detailed account from an omniscient viewpoint to engage readers more deeply. Kim, who first met Eddie in March 1995, worked with him on the book for nearly two years, incorporating factual historical context into the storytelling. Starting in North Korea, Eddie’s escape route took him through China to South Korea in the early 1990s, where he lived for almost a decade as a student and businessman before moving to Australia and becoming an accountant. Kim hopes the book will encourage readers to reflect on the broader implications of Eddie’s experiences for the future of the Korean Peninsula.