If this doesn't break your heart...the North Korean Gulag
 

and one man's escape, after being born into it.

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/29/149061...h-koreas-gulag

http://www.amazon.com/Escape-Camp-14.../dp/0670023329

this thing is so morally difficult...this guy by his own admission was one of the bad guys in the camp. He preyed on weaker folks, it sounds like, for his own gain. He collaborated with the guards. And by virtue of his strength, he was physically strong enough to be able to escape.

But is he responsible for this? It's hard to argue that he is.

He seeks redemption, not by other forgiving him or understanding him, but by exposing the regime and its practices.

Helluva thing. Was looking at my kids eat dinner tonight. Free from worry, never been hungry in their lives. Hell, never even been spanked. And think of the contrast in other places (some of which are within miles of me, I'm sure. Some across the world).

Right now, there may be a guard in North Korea who is torturing a child to death. I can understand such thing intellectually. I can say it. But I can't understand it, comprehend it, it's like I'm repeating a fiction I quickly push away. You know, hit up espn.com for the latest scores.

On the subject of North Korea, in 2008 a twentysomething Austrian man spent six days in North Korea, crossing the border at a "forbidden" Russian train station, booked hotels in Pyongyang, rode around their metros, went on day-trip travel tours, and simply exited the country on a train to Beijing, and was never approached or questioned. Just acted like he belonged, apparently had no fear (or knowledge) of Camp 22, and blogged about his experience with hundreds of photos and videos:

http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.com/