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A Mark of Red Honor
This autobiographical novel narrated by the author’s eponymous character candidly shares the story of his birth, childhood as a sensitive boy, school years marked by infatuations with a male friend and teacher, military service as superiors’ favorite, agony as a newlywed realizing that he is unfit for marriage, roving through China as a North Korean defector, and tumultuous experience as a sexual minority settled in South Korea―episodes too multifarious and eclectic to have happened to one person.
336 pages, Paperback
Published December 30, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 10, 2023
A Mark of Red Honor is the story of Jang Young-jin, a North Korean refugee who is mostly known for being the first (and so far, the only) among them to come out as gay (more on him here, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia...)
I personally wasn’t aware that his story had been published as a book, let alone that it had been translated by John H. Cha and then published by Mulmangcho Books (who seem to publish books by North Koreans). I thought it was very well written and, while, honestly, some bits were hard to read, it was very easy to go through and I think it offered insight into many aspects that we don’t usually see in North Korean refugee memoirs – not only because of his sexual orientation, but also the commentary about masculinity and the ‘natural order of life’ where men marry women, procreate, die, and so forth. There’s also a lot about the army and just information about becoming a party member and friendships that I thought was very well put.
Jang ends up marrying a woman and this really makes his life turn in the wrong direction. The depression and feeling that he is not normal, and the fact that his divorce is rejected, drives him to live his family behind – but he is making his wife miserable. I thought this whole section was incredibly well-written and just harrowing. It was very easy to imagine myself in his shoes and I felt for him. His escape to China, being rejected by every South Korean embassy and consulate, and then his final escape to South Korea really left me feeling exhausted.
Anyways I won’t summarize the book but it was just beautiful to see him caring for his family, learning the word ‘gay’ and reading about how it is not a “mental deficiency” but something natural, him finding love and coming to know gay men can marry in Europe, etc. It was really nice. I had goosebumps for half of it and, just having known how he felt in North Korea and how awful his escape had been, reading the words “I felt happy” put tears in my eyes not going to lie.
(Did I read this in one day? Yes. Wow. Okay.)
I personally wasn’t aware that his story had been published as a book, let alone that it had been translated by John H. Cha and then published by Mulmangcho Books (who seem to publish books by North Koreans). I thought it was very well written and, while, honestly, some bits were hard to read, it was very easy to go through and I think it offered insight into many aspects that we don’t usually see in North Korean refugee memoirs – not only because of his sexual orientation, but also the commentary about masculinity and the ‘natural order of life’ where men marry women, procreate, die, and so forth. There’s also a lot about the army and just information about becoming a party member and friendships that I thought was very well put.
Jang ends up marrying a woman and this really makes his life turn in the wrong direction. The depression and feeling that he is not normal, and the fact that his divorce is rejected, drives him to live his family behind – but he is making his wife miserable. I thought this whole section was incredibly well-written and just harrowing. It was very easy to imagine myself in his shoes and I felt for him. His escape to China, being rejected by every South Korean embassy and consulate, and then his final escape to South Korea really left me feeling exhausted.
Anyways I won’t summarize the book but it was just beautiful to see him caring for his family, learning the word ‘gay’ and reading about how it is not a “mental deficiency” but something natural, him finding love and coming to know gay men can marry in Europe, etc. It was really nice. I had goosebumps for half of it and, just having known how he felt in North Korea and how awful his escape had been, reading the words “I felt happy” put tears in my eyes not going to lie.
(Did I read this in one day? Yes. Wow. Okay.)
June 9, 2025
A beautiful memoir about love: of one’s country, family, and of the pain that comes with loving.
Reading this in Pride Month is a reminder to me of the pain that comes with loving someone when you don’t have the privilege of being born in a country/culture where your love is celebrated. But alas, love conquers all :)
Reading this in Pride Month is a reminder to me of the pain that comes with loving someone when you don’t have the privilege of being born in a country/culture where your love is celebrated. But alas, love conquers all :)
June 29, 2025
A truly remarkable story
March 10, 2024
I've always enjoyed exploring intersectionality. This is a very rich book:
Being (he later finds out) gay in N Korea.
Being N Korean in S Korea - kind of uncomfortable
Being gay in S Korea - equally uncomfortable (if not more so)
Being gay and Korean in the USA (although not in this book).
There are some totally heartbreaking moments in this novel/autobiography. I'd waited a long time to find a copy of this book. The last lines are:
'Eun-woo called. "It's your birthday. Did you eat? You skipped it again, right? No doubt. What are you doing now?"
"Now..." I trailed off without completing an answer.
"Are you crying again?"
I have cried a ton while writing this book.
I won't cry anymore.'
. . . and I cried a lot reading it.
Being (he later finds out) gay in N Korea.
Being N Korean in S Korea - kind of uncomfortable
Being gay in S Korea - equally uncomfortable (if not more so)
Being gay and Korean in the USA (although not in this book).
There are some totally heartbreaking moments in this novel/autobiography. I'd waited a long time to find a copy of this book. The last lines are:
'Eun-woo called. "It's your birthday. Did you eat? You skipped it again, right? No doubt. What are you doing now?"
"Now..." I trailed off without completing an answer.
"Are you crying again?"
I have cried a ton while writing this book.
I won't cry anymore.'
. . . and I cried a lot reading it.
January 9, 2024
A beautiful memoir of North Korea's only openly-gay defector, and of his time growing up in the North, his childhood, military years, and eventual escape to the South. Written with beautiful, at times poetic language. A rare glimpse into the hermit kingdom.
September 17, 2026
A stunning book. Lots to learn about North Korea
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews