" Only around 1983 did I begin to realize that not he but rather Kim Il-sung and his regime were the real causes of my suffering. They were the ones responsible for the camp and for filling it with innocent people. All during my childhood, Kim Il-sung had been like a god to me. A few years in the camp cured me of my faith. "

― Kang Chol-Hwan , The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag