Chapter 4 describes the famine of the 1990s and Park’s family’s plight to survive. In her earliest years, they are relatively affluent compared to their neighbors, but due to their poor songbun status, they are not part of the elite class. Their financial and social status shifts dramatically for the worse in the following years due to the economic and political volatility of the North Korean regime. In 1990, when Moscow rescinded its offer to export goods at a discounted rate to North Korea, the country suffered an economic collapse. The leadership in Pyongyang realized it could not afford to distribute goods as before, and this change caused a widespread famine and forced North Korean people to engage in illegal trading to survive. To repress and control trading, the government established jangmadang (state-managed marketplaces) and introduced heavier sanctions and penalties for trading outside these jangmadang. Within this context, Yeonmi’s father can no longer sustain his business amid increasing competition, and her family struggles to pay back debts.

Winters in Hyesan are extremely harsh, especially when it is considered normal and expected to skip meals. Without running water and reliable electricity, Park’s family struggles to survive.