Shin Dong-hyuk

Shin Dong-hyuk, born on November nineteenth, nineteen eighty-two, is a prominent journalist, writer, and human rights defender originally from North Korea. He is known for his remarkable escape from a 'total-control zone' internment camp, claiming to be the only individual to have successfully done so. His life story is chronicled in the biography 'Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West,' co-authored with former Washington Post journalist Blaine Harden.

Throughout his career, Shin has passionately advocated for human rights, delivering talks globally to raise awareness about the dire conditions in North Korean internment and concentration camps. His compelling narrative has earned him recognition as the world's 'single strongest voice' on the atrocities occurring within these camps, as noted by a member of the United Nations' first commission of inquiry into North Korean human rights abuses.

However, Shin's accounts have not been without controversy. In January twenty fifteen, he recanted several aspects of his story, including the claim of his father's death, which was contradicted by a video showing his father alive. Additionally, he admitted to fabricating details about his time in Camp 14, revealing that he had been transferred to a different prison at the age of six, rather than remaining in Camp 14 until his escape in his early twenties.