The World On arirang

"A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea" is a true story about the 9-year journey of a family's escape from North Korea. Through the story that takes us from Hamgyeongbuk-do Province in North Korea to Seoul, South Korea, over a period of 9 years, risking their lives in search of hope and freedom, the reality of the division of Korea is presented and concern about North-South problems as well as issues regarding North Korean defectors is called forth.

For the past 1,000 years, Seoul has been the center of Korea's national history as the capital for Baekje, Joseon, and the Republic of Korea. Then what about North Korea's capital, Pyongyang? We take a closer look at the capitals of North and South Korea, Seoul and Pyongyang, and find that the two cities share many similarities in their features, roles and history. We explore the common traits and the significance of these two cities.