Nothing to Envy

This chapter tells the stories of most main characters’ defection and integration. Dr. Kim becomes a nanny to a South Korean professor living in China. Invited back to South Korea by the professor, she reveals her true identity. Upon arriving, she loses her resettlement money in a scam, and discovers her medical training will not suffice in her new home. She re-enters medical school at forty years old. Kim Hyuck immigrates at age nineteen with the help of missionaries. He takes a harsh route through Mongolia, is captured by police, and is then released to South Korea. There, he struggles to understand customs and find consistent work. At twenty-six,he re-enrolls in college, and discovers that his status as a defector has some cache. 

This chapter concludes Mi-ran and Jun-sang’s romance. As compared to other North Koreans, Mi-ran’s integration is easy because of the South Korean heritage that had given her family such a low social standing in her childhood. Jun-sang, by contrast, has difficulty making his way to South Korea, or adjusting once he arrives. After Mi-ran’s departure, he moves back to Chongjin to avoid government surveillance, and spends years saving money.