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May 19, 2013 6:00 PM

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Anderson Cooper on North Korean born in prison camp

By: 60 Minutes Overtime Staff
Topics: Correspondent Candids

"Shin Dong-hyuk isn't just somebody who was sent to a concentration camp," says Anderson Cooper. "This is somebody who was born into a concentration camp. And for the majority of his life up until he was probably 22 or 23, had no idea that there was another kind of way to exist."

This week on 60 Minutes, Shin told Anderson the stunning story of how he escaped from Camp 14, a brutal political prison believed to exist in North Korea.

Since his escape, Shin has attempted to create some semblance of a life, with the help of friends in South Korea and an adoptive family in Columbus, Ohio.

"When I was in the camp I don't remember crying so much. Even when my mother and my brother were executed, I didn't shed too many tears," Shin told Anderson. "But now, for example, when I see videos of the Holocaust it moves me to tears. I think I am still evolving-- from an animal to a human."

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by squidnuts May 22, 2013 11:31 PM EDT: The people with the most power in N. Korea, namely the politicos, military, police, prison guards, developers of juche weapons systems with a little help from a Pakistani nuclear physicist who must rate as one of the world's most horrific villains ?, demonstrate how elements of sadism and antisocial personality traits pervade their society. (1) They don't honor things they agreed to. (2) They torture and starve their innocent citizens. (3) Much of their economic activity is from criminal enterprises such as counterfeiting, drug manufacture and distribution, and disseminating weapons to other criminal types. (4) Extortion. etc. The people who run the country can not be negotiated with. They are like polar bears who are happy to get extorted freebies from bleeding hearts until they become powerful enough to turn on their benefactors and destroy them. The Chinese, who seem to be using the N. Koreans analogously to the bad cop in a good cop, bad cop routine had better be careful, because N. Korea will relentlessly build their nuclear arsenal until they can turn on their Chinese benefactors. Their megalomaniac leadership will not stop until they have enslaved the world and will make Hitler's and Stalin's population control measures seem like charity. Someday, someone will have to go to war with N. Korea. After a certain point, the casualties will be in the billions. N. Korea should be 100% naval blockaded, not allowing any ships in or out. The Chinese, for coddling these ungrateful self-righteous monsters will then need to suck it up when the regime collapses, and the N. Koreans who don't get machine-gunned down will seek refuge, en masse, on the other side of the Walu River. This cannot be prevented by enabling, or bleeding hearts. The N. Korean leadership, in their quest to have it ALL, will not relent until they have eliminated anyone in the world they suspect may have issues with Jong Un Fut killing whomever he pleases to possess everything in the world worth having. Jews and Gypsies couldn't negotiate with Hitler. Kulaks couldn't negotiate with Lenin and Stalin. No one will be able to negotiate with Jongie Un to death or whatever monster mass murder Yobo succeeds it. Apologies to most Koreans, who are honorable people, for any offensive terms used here.; Reply to this comment


by KDahlin29 May 19, 2013 11:24 PM EDT: I'm having a hard time understanding how he can be as normal as he seems. I don't mean to discount everything he's been through to get to the point he's at now. It seemed from the 60 Minuted piece that he didn't have much interaction with his parents. Was he nurtured by his mother as a baby? Someone must have cared for him as a baby so maybe that's where his obvious humanity comes from. It's not something you can learn in your 20s. I would love to know what his early childhood was like.; Reply to this comment


by gnu57 May 19, 2013 8:41 PM EDT: I want to ignore all the ignorant comments here. I DO want to let Shin Dong-hyuk know one thing. You set your mother and brother free. They suffered, as you did. But however it occurred, you 'turning them in' SET THEM FREE. Allow yourself to grieve...now you've seen what families outside Camp 14 experience. There SHOULD be love, there SHOULD always be hugs...you didn't get that. But you DID survive, and your mother and brother stopped suffering. Live a long life, enjoy it every way you can, share your joy with the world, but don't stop sharing the story of how you, and your family, were traumatized and tortured in North Korea's version of hell on earth. God bless you.; Reply to this comment


by samcpark May 19, 2013 8:23 PM EDT: To all, one of the biggest perpetrators of this demonic dictatorship is China. They watch the embassies and will deport anyone they capture back to North Korea knowing that they will be executed. They do this because North Korea is considered an Ally.

If you want to make a difference, try not to purchase stuff made in China. China is all about the almighty dollar, they don't give a rat's @ss about the people who live in the worst absolute dictatorship in the modern world.

The only govrenment who can make a difference is China, and they choose not to do so.; Reply to this comment


by murfthesmurf March 4, 2013 6:40 AM EST: The guy looks very youthful for someone raised in prison and malnourished his first 23 years. Nice teeth and a full head of hair with no gray showing. And to crawl over a body that was laying on an electric fence without getting shocked then traverse a few thousand miles in a foreign country where he doesn't speak their language and was sure to be sent back if he was caught... amazing!; Reply to this comment


by srkreader December 13, 2012 11:45 PM EST: For those requiring additional witnesses, there is a horrific account of a North Korean govmt employee, falsely accused, who is sent to one of these camps for years and becomes like an animal before she escapes.It is called "The Eyes of Tailess Animals" by Soon Ok Lee.; Reply to this comment

by Virus_J December 13, 2012 1:36 PM EST

In US prison camp, we pamper the criminals. In N. Korea prison camp, they "punish" the criminals. Isn't it what prison is for? to punish instead of pampering?

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by alissam912 May 20, 2013 7:03 PM EDT: Only someone who has never been in prison could say that we "pamper" criminals. Do we provide, or try to provide, basic necessities and relatively humane treatment? Yes. But don't think for a moment that life in prison is anything less than punishment. Not having freedom is more devastating than any free person can imagine. As a matter of fact, once upon a time, prison was about REHABILITATION! What a concept! We actually worked at changing criminal behavior by re-educating prisoners and making up for the deficits that caused them to commit crimes in the first place. What does your "tough on crime by being tougher on the criminals" actually do for our society? Create more malice and reaffirm every negative notion about what our society is supposed to be about.

by sbetht December 4, 2012 3:15 PM EST

I am an amateur African American genealogist. In wathing the Shin interview Sunday night, it occured to me that Shin's description of his experiennce as a prisoner sounded a lot like the slaves's in America.

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by KodeBloo December 4, 2012 8:47 PM EST: You couldn't be more wrong.
If you'll read a little more about North Korean prisons, you'll find that cannibalism is just fine there when you can get it.
As far as orphans on the street? On youtube, search for North Korea - Children of The Secret State
Then tell me again how bad American slaves had it. I'm not saying it wasn't bad, but I'm saying there's no comparison.


by browsguy December 3, 2012 7:53 PM EST: I am intrigued by how he circled around China not knowing the language, and probably when he first set foot there, not even knowing that there was such a thing as another language. Though I am sure he learned cunning and survival techniques in jail, he still had to be somewhat out of it even, if he is a quick study.; Reply to this comment

by hamiltongrad December 3, 2012 2:45 PM EST

Cooper is more rich than Mitt ever dreamed of, for what it is worth. He has no connection to the average person, other than the occasional doorman, or taxi driver he tips. Why can't CNN hire a "real" "regular" person who can connect. I agree , SNARKY.

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by Mnlev26 December 4, 2012 9:20 AM EST: first of all he worked for his money, second of all you making such an ignorant remark says a lot about you, so instead of complaining about others being rich, why don't you just work as hard as these people. they worked hard for what they have. And CNN is lucky to have a guy like him.

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