Issued on February 10, 2021
Number of pages, weight, size 248 pages | 286g | 120*188*13mm

In this vast world, every individual carries a tale of their own. It's a universal truth, every one of us has endured pain. The intensity, however, differs from one to the next.

An 18-year-old girl, brimming with dreams, made the harrowing decision to defect to North Korea after receiving news about her mother. This is a testament to the resilience that one can harbor in the face of adversity.

The records kept by a North Korean defector over the past 10 years serve as a tangible testament to their journey. A journey that has been difficult and has brought forth a sense of loneliness but has not been deprived of happiness.

Loneliness, a companion that was constant, but it did not usher in unhappiness. It was a loneliness that was comforting in its way because it was filled with memories of loved ones who were always remembered, never forgotten.

Despite the uncertainty of reunification, there's a dream I hold close to my heart. A dream to return to my hometown, to savor the comfort of the local cuisine, to reconnect with childhood friends. Time may age us to the point of unrecognition, and there's a possibility that I may never step foot in my hometown again in this lifetime. However, I refuse to let go of this thin thread of hope.

Living without hope would be a miserable and sorrowful existence. So, I carry on, nourishing the hope of one day reuniting with my family.

The hope we harbor and the dreams we dream are what propel us forward, making us the architects of our Dream Factory. We strive, persevere, and continue to hope because without it, what would we be?

This essay is dedicated to all those who harbor dreams and continue to foster hope, no matter how grim the circumstances.

It serves as a reminder that although our pain may differ in depth, we are all unified in the shared experience of longing, dreaming, and hoping.

Sowon Lee

lonely but not unhappy