I’m here in Southeast Asia to see the routes
that North Korean refugees are using right now
to flee the regime
It’s dawn and we’re here at the final crossing
that North Korean refugees must make
on their journey to freedom
Refugees typically cross by boat
at this time in the morning
So what we’re going to do is
we’re going to get on a boat ourselves
and head out and see kind of
the places that they cross and
what that feels like
What feelings did you have
when you were on that side of the river?
And then what feelings did you have
when you made it to this side?
How do you feel?
When we got in the boat
and you started crying, I started crying
You know, meeting you and
meeting other North Korean refugees
and being here is so surreal because…
this is the final crossing
Like that side is freedom
and freedom for the first time in your life
You know, growing up where I grew up
in the United States
like that’s never been something that I’ve had to earn
It was just given to me at birth
And just to see how strong you are
and other North Korean refugees
Just being on this river and
knowing so many people that crossed it
to find freedom but then like
the other thing is like so many people that
will never get the chance
So you land on the other side and
then what happened next?
Cameras down
So we’re currently in the pick-up zone
This is where North Korean refugees
are crossing right now
It’s a sensitive area so we don’t want to get out of the car
because we don’t want to compromise these routes
It’s a remarkable place
and it’s the first place that refugees like Jessie
stand on free soil for the first time in their lives
Yeah, right here, this is it
On the next episode of The Escape
Jessie reached safety
but nothing could prepare her
for the challenges she'd face in freedom
We head to South Korea
to see what her life is like there
