From the interview linked at the bottom of the article [0]: I was sent back to North Korea three times and finally I escaped to South Korea. I was lucky becaus

From the interview linked at the bottom of the article [0]: I was sent back to North Korea three times and finally I escaped to South Korea. I was lucky because I got a scholarship from a organization, so I was able to come to the US to study English. The first time I went to China, I thought they were really rich because they ate rice and meat everyday. It was the same as I heard when I was in North Korea. Edit: She also mentions an organization called "Liberty in North Korea", which helps refugees to escape via China. China has an agreement with North Korea to send illegal immigrants back to their home country. Apparently, if you know the right people and pay some money, you can circumvent this agreement: [1] lists "rescue fees" as "Costs for fines, fees, and the network of partners and staff in the underground to bring refugees to safety". [0] http://interviews.kinja.com/how-did-you-end-up-making-it-to-the-us-after-fleeing-no-479817859 http://interviews.kinja.com/how-did-you-end-up-making-it-to-... [1] http://libertyinnorthkorea.org/rescue-teams-about/ http://libertyinnorthkorea.org/rescue-teams-about/