Fleeing War In Korea

It took time, benevolence and a minor miracle to finally arrive in Canada and begin a new life

- Won-Ok (Grace) Kim, Mississauga

In the summer of 1947, members of the Communist party knocked on our door without notice and ordered us out of our home and off our property, taking with us only the clothes we wore. The sole reason for our eviction was that my parents owned a very large (and coveted) farmland property in Seoncheon, North Korea.

Our family was devastated, but we quickly decided to escape to South Korea with the hope of finding a new life. We made a long trip to the border area and waited unobtrusively until dark to avoid the eyes of the many border guards. After crossing successfully, we made our way to the nearest seaport. To our disappointment, there was only one small boat available to take us to South Korea. Our family of nine members had to split up! Six got on the boat, while my grandfather and my mother decided to make it to South Korea via a dangerous route through the mountains. Grandfather carried me, two years old at the time, all the way on his back. Only by God’s mercy did we all arrive safely in South Korea. We were then taken to a refugee camp in Seoul, where our family settled in and struggled to eke out a living.

Three years later, in June 1950, the North Korean military forces suddenly invaded South Korea. My father and my grandfather were killed by a bomb explosion and my uncle was kidnapped.

On January 4, 1951, Seoul citizens were informed of an evacuation order by the government. Once again, the remaining members of our family separated for safety reasons.