Book Signing with author Mike Kim at Giant Robot 2 Los Angeles February 6, 2011

Book signing at GR2
Mike Kim, Feb 6, 2011, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
GR2 2062 Sawtelle Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025 gr2.net (310) 445-9276

Giant Robot is proud to host a joint book signing with Mike Kim, author of Escaping North Korea

“One of the most incredible stories of personal bravery I’ve ever heard. One man equipped only with his passion and a group of people equally committed, helping North Koreans escape through a modern-day underground railroad.” – Jon Stewart

“The power of Escaping North Korea stems from the stories Mr. Kim tells. During his four years in China, he met hundreds of escapees from the North. He reconstructs their tales – of the privations of daily existence in North Korea, of life on the lam in China – in heartbreaking detail.” – Wall Street Journal

“His intrepid effort to help four North Korean teenagers avoid arrest and repatriation on the journey from northern China to the British consulate in Shanghai is riveting, as is his insider knowledge of the perilous route refugees navigate across the borders of China, Laos and Thailand.” – Publishers Weekly

Event Description: Mike Kim has now shared his stories of inspiration, courage, and hope on five continents. Come hear Mike, who worked with refugees on the Chinese border for four years, recount their experiences of enduring famine, sex-trafficking, and torture, as well as the inspirational stories of those who overcame tremendous adversity to escape the repressive regime of their homeland and make new lives.

About the Author: On New Year's Day 2003, Kim gave up his financial planning business in Chicago, Illinois and left for China on a one-way ticket carrying little more than two duffle bags. While living near the North Korean border, he operated undercover as a student of North Korean taekwondo, training under two famous North Korean masters from Pyongyang—eventually receiving a second-degree blackbelt. He founded Crossing Borders, a nonprofit dedicated to providing humanitarian assistance to North Korean refugees. During his time in China, he learned of the hundreds of thousands of North Koreans fleeing to China through a 6,000-mile modern-day underground railroad in search of food and freedom. He has interviewed hundreds of North Koreans and in his book he recounts their experiences of famine, defection, sex-trafficking, and torture in gulags. He frequently appears in the media and has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and CNN AC360. Escaping North Korea is being developed into a motion picture with the book-to-movie project represented by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

Notice: RKTV (Radio Korea TV) in collaboration with Arirang TV will be filming for an “Arirang Today” news program on Mike Kim and his work.

Read more about Mike Kim and Escaping North Korea at www.escapingnorthkorea.com