During the journey, his older brother drowned while they were crossing a river. So he buried his emotions deep, lest he betray his parents and be responsible for their capture he became a stone to the outside world.
Throughout it all, everyone impressed upon Chul Kyung that anything he said or any strange behavior would get them caught. As a child, he and his family defected from the oppressive country and made their way across Asia in an attempt to eventually reach the Republic of Korea.
A North Korean by birth, Chul Kyung Hwa doesn't remember much of his early life.
