During Kim Il-sung's reign as North Korea's Supreme Leader, his son Kim Jong-il took control of the Propaganda and Agitation Department in 1967. At just 25 years old, Kim Jong-il exerted significant influence over North Korea's cultural output, including film, theatre, and literature. He used this power to ensure all artistic works promoted the "correct" ideology, consistently portraying his father, Kim Il-sung, in a favourable light.

For Shin Sang-ok, a renowned South Korean film director, the political climate in North Korea seemed far removed from his own reality. He secretly acquired Western films and spent considerable time studying them. He admired these Western productions and recognized that they were superior to the films being produced in North Korea. Shin aspired to gain international recognition, but felt South Korea's film industry lacked the necessary resources and support. He felt he needed assistance from outside the country to achieve his goals.

Shin Sang-ok was married to Choi Eun-hee, a famous South Korean actress. Their situation deteriorated in the early 1970s when President Park Chung-hee tightened regulations over the film industry. Shin's creative freedom was restricted, and after rumours spread about Shin having a child with another woman, Park revoked Shin's studio's production license.

The scandal led to Shin and Choi's divorce. Facing financial difficulties, Shin focused on raising their adopted children and managing her Academy of Cinematic Arts. Choi was concerned about losing the school, which is when she received an invitation to Hong Kong.

The caller claimed to be a film producer who wanted Choi to direct a film. Desperate to save her school, she accepted. In 1977, she travelled to Hong Kong, but instead of a business meeting, she was driven to Repulse Bay, where she was forced onto a boat. Six days later, she was met by Kim Jong-il upon arrival in North Korea.
When Shin learned of Choi's disappearance, he travelled to Hong Kong but was unable to find her. Rumours circulated about North Korean agents abducting people, but no evidence was found.

A photograph showed Choi Eun-hee and Shin Sang-ok in Tokyo in 1989, three years after their escape from nearly a decade of captivity in North Korea. Their story exemplifies the reach of the North Korean regime and its impact on the lives and careers of artists.

Suspicion immediately centered on Shin Sang-ok following Choi Eun-hee's mysterious disappearance. While Choi had used a passport to travel to Hong Kong, Shin's subsequent search for her was tragically cut short: a friend lured him to Repulse Bay under false pretences, where he was ambushed by knife-wielding men, forced into a bag, and dragged onto a boat. Six days later, like Choi before him, Shin found himself a captive of Kim Jong-il in North Korea.

Despite their involuntary relocation, Kim Jong-il, a fervent admirer of their cinematic talents, envisioned a unique purpose for the abducted couple. For the ensuing five years, Choi and Shin were kept apart, yet both were expected to fulfil Kim's directives. Choi, constantly monitored by her housekeeper and guards, starred in films dictated by Kim, earning lavish parties and acting classes as rewards for her performances. Shin, however, exhibited greater resistance, attempting to escape twice and enduring severe punishments, including a gruelling 16-hour confinement in Prison Number Six for two and a half years.

By 1983, Shin's spirit appeared sufficiently subdued to meet Kim's expectations. Dressed in a suit, he was brought to his first party with the North Korean dictator. There, his eyes met Choi's across the room, and Kim orchestrated a forced embrace. After a private film screening, Kim sent them home together. Overwhelmed by their reunion, they confessed their enduring love and, despite contemplating escape, ultimately decided to await the opportune moment, recognizing the inherent dangers.

Six months after their reunion, Kim revealed his motives to Shin and Choi: he had abducted them to revitalize the North Korean film industry. To ensure the world believed in their voluntary defection, Kim would permit them to travel to Eastern Bloc countries, closely guarded, to film and showcase their movies at festivals.

Over the next three years, Shin and Choi created seven films, garnering awards for Best Director and Best Actress. Their seventh film, Pulgasari, a North Korean interpretation of Godzilla, attracted considerable attention, even in the West. Despite their success, the constant restrictions and surveillance took a toll. Following Pulgasari, Kim granted them permission to travel to Vienna, Austria, ostensibly to secure funding for a film about Genghis Khan.

Choi and Shin saw this as their chance. In March 1986, accompanied by three guards, they arranged a lunch meeting with a journalist friend. They persuaded the guards to follow them in a separate vehicle. Upon leaving the morning meeting, Shin instructed the driver to take them to the U.S. embassy. The guards attempted to pursue them but lost them at an intersection.
Fearing for their safety, Shin and Choi relocated to Virginia, where they were reunited with their children, later moving to California. Eventually, they returned to South Korea, retiring after a few smaller projects. Shin passed away in 2006, followed by Choi in 2018, leaving behind an extraordinary story - a chilling testament to the lengths the North Korean regime would go to in pursuit of its cultural and political ambitions.

Reference:

• The True Crime File, Kim Daly

Written By: Md.Imran Wahab, IPS, IGP, Provisioning, West Bengal
Email: imranwahab216@gmail.com, Ph no: 9836576565