Hyesan, North Korea

Hyesan is the city where Hyeonseo's family is from. It is also where she lives for most of her life in North Korea. It is a border city on the Yalu River opposite China. This geographical position gives the city's residents easier access to trade and foreign goods. It is a hub of trade and smuggling which brings prosperity and business opportunities to the city's locals.

Hyena's ethos of prosperity and entrepreneurship rubs off on Hyeonseo's business-minded family members. It is partly their hometown's proximity to China that allows Hyeonseo's mother and brother to start such lucrative businesses in illegal trading. Laws are less strictly enforced in Hyesan because government officials and border guards want a share of the profits. The city's proximity to China and lack of strictness is part of what makes it possible for Hyeonseo to get to leave the country at...