by Julie Lee
Like Sora, she had a relative executed for committing a crime against the state; wanted to go to college but faced some opposition for being a girl; fled North Korea on a cold November night; experienced that bombing on the hill; took care of one of her younger brothers when they were separated from their parents; passed through Kaesong; passed through Seoul; took a train to Busan with hundreds of other refugees; and then settled as a displaced person there for many years before immigrating to the United States.
Unlike Sora, she was the third of six children (two older brothers, two younger brothers, and one younger sister); her younger brother did not die; she crossed the Yellow Sea rather than the inland rivers; and she was the daughter of a high school principal in Pyongyang, not of a farmer in a small village.
My mother suffered great hardship during her journey to Busan and afterward as a refugee. Through Sora and her family and friends, I have created a story that is, in part, a synthesis of various survivors’ experiences—but most especially hers.
As much as I tried to stay true to historical facts, I did take some literary license in altering the minimum-age requirement for the Sonyondan Club from ten to eight, so that Youngsoo could attend. While I open the book with Youngsoo running late to his Sunday communist youth club meeting, these Sunday classes generally targeted junior and senior high students to discourage any Christians among them from attending church. And though it was a rainy Sunday on June 25, 1950, I do not mention this in the story. Lastly, the train Sora rode was not actually the final train leaving Seoul.
The Korean War resulted in the loss of between three to four million lives. Today, North and South Korea are technically still at war, as neither side has signed a peace treaty. While the fighting ended on July 27, 1953, with an armistice agreement declaring a cease-fire—but no victory for either side—the situation has remained tense for more than sixty years. It was not uncommon for families like the Kims to have been torn apart by the war, never to see or hear from each other again, as any form of communication in and out of North Korea was and is tightly controlled.
The Korean War now takes its place in American history as the “Forgotten War.” Sandwiched between World War II and the Vietnam War, this little-known conflict on a tiny peninsula an ocean away failed to capture our attention. And soon, we began to forget what it was even about.
Nearly fifty years after the war, memorials began appearing across the United States honoring Korean War veterans. My gratitude runs deep for the many soldiers who fought and sacrificed so much in the name of freedom. Without their courage, my mother would’ve lived her life under a communist dictatorship.
While the movement toward remembering the Korean War continues, the stories of refugee survivors remain largely untold—narratives full of courage, love, and hope. As we are all connected in our humanity, and as the same waters still journey around the world, touching every shore, let us listen to their stories and never forget.
Circa 1947. My mother wearing her middle-school uniform in Pyongyang, North Korea, and posing with friends. She still laments that these friends never left.
Circa 1953. My mother (in the foreground), a high school student in Busan.
Circa 1954. One of my mother’s younger brothers wearing his middle-school uniform in Busan. My mother took care of him when they were briefly separated from the rest of the family during their journey from Pyongyang to Busan. Currently, he lives in the United States and remains close with my mother.
Circa 1959. My mother’s parents.
My mother graduates from Yonsei University as a music major in February 1960. She went on to teach piano for several years, then immigrated to the United States on September 6, 1970.
My mother, a college freshman.
Glossary of Korean Words
Abahji – Father (in North Korean dialect)
-ah – indicates closeness and familiarity when attached as a suffix to a person’s name ending in a consonant, usually by an older person to a younger person
Ahjuma – term to address a middle-aged woman
Ahpa – Dad
ai – sound to express frustration
aigoo – oh no
“Arirang” – a famous traditional Korean folk song, more than six hundred years old, which serves as the unofficial anthem of Korea. Adopted in both the North and South, it was Korea’s song of resistance during the Japanese occupation.
baduk – traditional Korean board game involving black and white stones
Chuseok – Korean Thanksgiving Day, which falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. It is one of the most important holidays of the year, involving a feast and the honoring of ancestors.
daenjang jjigae – stew made with fermented soybean paste
dduk – sweet rice cake
doljabi (dol) – traditional celebration for a baby’s first birthday
galbi – barbecued beef short ribs marinated in soy sauce, garlic, and sugar
Gukje Market– international marketplace, in Busan
Halmoni – Grandmother
Hangul –Korean alphabet
Harabuji – Grandfather
janggu drum– hour-glass-shaped traditional Korean drum, covered on both ends with animal skins
jeogori – the upper article of clothing in traditional Korean dress, worn by men and women. For women, it consists of a short jacket characterized by a V-shaped collar.
jigeh – A-frame wooden backpack-like carrier
kimchi – a traditional side dish made of fermented cabbage or radish
kimjang – the communal preparation of large batches of kimchi in late autumn, enough to sustain households through the winter.
Mee-gook – United States of America
noona – older sister of a male person
Omahni – Mother (in North Korean dialect)
ondol – traditional method of underfloor heating using smoke from a heat source such as a wood-burning stove. The heat and smoke pass through horizontal flues under the floor.
Oppah – older brother of a female person. It is also a respectful term used by a female when addressing an older boy with whom she is close.
pansori – traditional form of musical storytelling, usually performed by one vocalist accompanied by a single drum
soju – Korean alcoholic beverage typically made from rice and grains
songpyeon – type of sweet rice cake that is half-moon shaped and served during Chuseok
uh-muh – oh my goodness
wah – more of a sound than a word that is an exclamation similar to “wow!”
-ya – indicates closeness and familiarity when attached as a suffix to a person’s name ending in a vowel, usually by an older person to a younger person
yah! – hey!
Yeobo – term of endearment, akin to “honey” or “sweetheart,” when addressing one’s husband or wife
yoot – popular, traditional Korean board game involving four sticks, rounded on one side and flat on the other; eight markers; and a game board
yukaejang – spicy soup made with shredded beef, scallions, and various vegetables
Timeline of the Korean War
Korea under Japanese rule
1910–1945
Japan annexes Korea and tries to eradicate Korean culture by banning the use of the Korean language in schools and public places. New laws require Koreans to adopt Japanese names in place of their own.
Korea divided at Potsdam Conference
July–August 1945
In Potsdam, Germany, the Soviet Union and the United States, making plans for Japanese-held territories after an imminent Allied victory, agree to temporarily divide the Korean Peninsula at the 38th parallel—the Soviets taking the north and the United States occupying the south.
V-J Day
August 15, 1945
Japan surrenders to Allied forces (which mainly include the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, France, and China), ending WWII and Japan’
s thirty-five-year colonial rule over Korea.
Soviet post-war occupation of northern Korea
August 26, 1945
Shortly after the Japanese are ousted from the peninsula, the Soviets formally begin their own occupation of northern Korea, ushering in a communist government.
U.S. post-war occupation of southern Korea
September 8, 1945
The United States enters southern Korea and helps establish a democratic government, marking the beginning of a three-year post-war occupation of the region below the 38th parallel.
Syngman Rhee elected as first president of South Korea
1948
South Korea is formally established as the Republic of Korea (ROK) with Syngman Rhee as its first president.
Kim Il Sung established as leader of North Korea
1948
North Korea is formerly established as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) with Kim Il Sung as leader of the North Korean communist regime.
Start of the Korean War
June 25, 1950
North Korean troops cross the 38th parallel and invade the South in an effort to unify all of the Korea Peninsula under communist rule.
United States enters the war
June 27, 1950
The United States and several UN countries join forces to defend South Korea and stop the spread of communism and Soviet influence.
North Korea takes Seoul
June 28, 1950
Three days after the start of the war, North Korean forces capture Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
Battle of Busan Perimeter
August 4, 1950 – September 18, 1950
North Korean forces take over approximately 90 percent of the peninsula, driving back U.S. and UN forces to a 140-mile perimeter around the southern port city of Busan.
General MacArthur in Inchon
September 15, 1950
U.S. general Douglas MacArthur launches a bold amphibious landing at the west coast port of Inchon, South Korea, cutting off North Korean supply lines. This surprise counterattack forces North Korean troops to retreat from the Busan Perimeter.
UN forces take back Seoul
September 16–29, 1950
Riding on the success at Inchon, divisions of the U.S. Army, Marines, and X Corps advance strategically from various locations, pushing north away from the Busan Perimeter, northeast across the Han River, and east from Inchon, eventually linking up with ROK forces to take back Seoul.
U.S. takes Pyongyang
October 19, 1950
Taking advantage of the North Korean retreat, General MacArthur continues to push northward to capture Pyongyang.
“Home for Christmas”
November 24, 1950
General MacArthur orders troops to advance up to the Yalu River, which borders North Korea and China. Confident of a victorious end to the Korean War, he tells his troops they will be “home for Christmas.”
China enters the War
November 1950
Fearful of U.S. troops so close to its border, China engages in a strong counterattack on the American advance, fighting as an ally of North Korea.
Communists recapture Seoul
January 4, 1951
As UN and ROK forces retreat, battles concentrate below the 38th parallel. With the aid of Chinese troops, communists recapture Seoul. After this date, North Korean refugees can no longer enter the South and are forced back.
UN forces take back Seoul
March 14, 1951
U.S. general Matthew Ridgway and South Korean general Lee Hong Sun lead UN forces in this Fourth Battle of Seoul, also known as Operation Ripper. UN troops move into Seoul from the east and force communist troops northward, resulting in the fourth and final time that Seoul changes hands during the war.
Stalemate
June 1951 – July 1953
China’s large army rivals UN forces, resulting in a stalemate. During this final phase of the Korean War, intense battles concentrate near the 38th parallel as neither side is able to make the massive territorial incursions seen in the first year of the war. Although this period also marks the beginning of truce talks, it results in tremendous casualties and some of the bloodiest trench warfare of the conflict.
Armistice agreement signed
July 27, 1953
After a year of bloody warfare then two years of a grinding stalemate, the principal backers of the war—China, the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Nations—decide that pursuing total victory would risk a wider global conflict and lead to another world war. As a result, the Korean Armistice Agreement is signed, declaring a cease-fire but no victory for either side. The DMZ (demilitarized zone) is established, roughly following the 38th parallel and permanently separating the two countries. Kaesong, formerly part of South Korea, is the only major city to be taken from the South and given to the North as a result of the agreement. No peace treaty is ever signed.
Acknowledgments
I thank God for the people in my life who made this book possible. To my kind and brilliant agent, Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, thank you for believing in this story and taking a chance on this new writer. I’m honored to have you as my agent. Without your guidance, I would be lost. My deepest gratitude is to my talented editor, Mora Couch, who brought this book to a level that I never could have. Your keen editorial insights challenged and encouraged me every step of the way. Many thanks to the entire team at Holiday House for your support and hard work. And to the Atlanta Writing Workshop and SCBWI for providing me with invaluable opportunities and a sense of community in an otherwise solitary pursuit.
Special thanks to my mother for sharing her life story, for bearing with my random questions, for showing me unwavering faith. Your strength paved the way for all your daughters and grandchildren. This book is an homage to you, your family, and your generation. To my father, thank you for sharing your love of writing. There isn’t a day when you don’t go to your desk and write. By your example, I learned not only of dedication but also of a deep love and respect for the written word. My heartfelt gratitude to my older sisters, Helen, Gloria, and Joyce, who are also my critique group and my mentors. Your encouragement and feedback were critical in shaping this story.
Finally, this book would not have been possible without my three daughters: To Laura, my secret weapon, who read this book more than any person on the planet. You amaze me with your astute insights that show maturity well beyond your age. To Abby, my avid fantasy reader who read through this historical fiction in one sitting, thank you; it meant so much to me. Your bubbling enthusiasm encouraged me more than you know. To Emily, my dear youngest, who showed great patience when Mama was too busy writing. You suffered the most through my obsessive writing days yet always cheered me on; I couldn’t have done this without you.
And to my loving husband, Chris, thank you for believing in me as a writer even when I showed you my ugly first draft. You built me up when I felt most tenuous. You didn’t let me quit when I said maybe this wasn’t meant to be. Without your love and support, I would have never completed this book. You are the bedrock on which I write.