Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Introduction-Chapter 5

Reading Check

1. In what year did the Japanese sign a treaty that would eventually end the Joseon dynasty on the Korean Peninsula?

2. In what year did South Korea become the “Republic of Korea” and separate from North Korea?

3. What is one of the two strange omens that Sungju witnesses in January 1997, in the time of mourning after Kim il-Sung has passed away?

4. Who is Bo-Cho given to when Sungju and his family leave for their “vacation”?

5. In what city in the countryside do Sungju and his family stay for their “vacation”?

6. What animal do Young-bum and Chulho discuss hunting to keep from starving?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Describe some of the propaganda Sungju is taught in school about Kim il-Sung’s power and why he is North Korea’s most revered leader.

2. Why doesn’t Sungju cry at Kim il-Sung’s funeral? Why is this moment significant, in the larger story?  

Paired Resource

“North Korean Defector Recalls Field Trip to Execution”  

• In this clip from 2018, CNN interviews Sungju Lee, the author of Every Falling Star.