Escape from Camp 14 Character Analysis

Shin In Geun / Shin Dong-hyuk

Shin Dong-hyuk, born Shin In Geun, is the protagonist of Escape from Camp 14. He was born in Camp 14, one of the many prison camp located in North Korea, to Jang Hye Gyung… read analysis of Shin In Geun / Shin Dong-hyuk

Kim Il Sung

Kim Il Sung was the first premier, and later president, of North Korea. Following his service in the Korean War, Kim was backed by the Soviet Union to lead the newly created North Korea. During… read analysis of Kim Il Sung

Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Il was the leader of North Korea between 1994 and the 2011. During this time, he ruled his country with an iron fist, pursued an aggressive nuclear missile policy, and continued to punish… read analysis of Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Eun

Kim Jong Eun is the current leader of North Korea, and the son of Kim Jong Il. He was raised in luxury, and studied in Switzerland. In spite of his apparent lack of qualifications… read analysis of Kim Jong Eun

Jang Hye Gyung / Shin’s Mother

Jang Hye Gyung is the biological mother of Shin Dong-hyuk, although she fulfills few of the roles one typically associates with a mother—she doesn’t nurture, educate, or, it would seem, love her son. Jang… read analysis of Jang Hye Gyung / Shin’s Mother

Shin Gyung Sub / Shin’s Father

Shin Gyung Sub is the father of Shin Dong-hyuk, but a minor presence in the book. At Camp 14, fathers aren’t permitted much time with their children—they’re forced to live in dormitories with their… read analysis of Shin Gyung Sub / Shin’s Father

Park Yong Chul

Perhaps more than any other person, Park Yong Chul is responsible for inspiring Shin to escape from Camp 14. Park is a humble, intelligent man, who’s sent to Camp 14 after he flees the country… read analysis of Park Yong Chul

Kim Jin Myung / “Uncle”

Kim Jun Myung, who goes by the nickname “Uncle,” is Shin’s cellmate during his time in the underground prison of Camp 14. Uncle is a kind, educated man—Shin assumes that he must have been… read analysis of Kim Jin Myung / “Uncle”

Minor Characters

An Myeong Chul

A former guard at a North Korean prison camp, who later defected and spoke out against the cruelty and meaningless sadism of the prison camp system.

Linda Dye

Husband of Lowell Dye, and a benefactor of Shin.

Lowell Dye

Wife of Lowell Dye, and a benefactor of Shin.

Gong Jin Soo

One of Shin’s coworkers at the garment factory.

He Geun / Shin’s Brother

He Geun is Shin’s brother, and the eldest son of Shin Gyung Sub and Jang Hye Gyung. He’s executed at Camp 14 after Shin informs on him.

Hong Sung Jo

One of Shin’s only friends at Camp 14 and the only person Shin talks to when he plans to inform on his parents.

Hong Joo Hyun

The grade leader in Shin’s class.

Charles Robert Jenkins

An American soldier who was captured and imprisoned in North Korea for many years.

Kang Chul Min

Another prisoner at Camp 14, who works in the garment factory alongside Shin.

Kang Chol-hwan

A North Korean defector who lived in South Korea for many lonely years.

Kim Dae-Jung

President of South Korea during the early 2000s.

Kim Hye Sook

A survivor of Camp 18, and later a noted human rights activist.

Kim Kwan Jin

A former member of the North Korean elite, who later defected and spoke out about North Korea’s massive insurance fraud system, which continues to finance the Kim family’s lavish lifestyle and provide a significant chunk of all government revenue.

Kyung Soon Chung

A pastor’s wife, who effectively adopts Shin after he moves to the United States.

Harim Lee

A young Korean woman who’s briefly involved in a relationship with Shin.

Sergeant Matthew E. McMahon

An intelligence worker living in South Korea, who interviews Shin and passes his story on to American intelligence officers.

Moon Sung Sim

A young girl, the same age as Shin, who later loses her toe in a mining accident.

Park Choon Young

A seamstress who’s sexually harassed, impregnated by her factory superiors, and eventually killed.

President Lee Myung-Bak

President of South Korea from 2008 to 2013.

President George W. Bush

43rd president of the United States of America.

Ryu Hak Chul

One of Shin’s classmates, who Shin later joins the rest of his class in beating.

Hannah Song

Shin’s translator and the director of LiNK (Liberty in North Korea), a nonprofit human rights organization.

Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor, human rights activist, and writer whose most famous book is Night. Wiesel won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.