A life-threatening record written by the living eyes and ears of North Korean citizens inside North Korea!
The violence and human rights issues of the North Korean regime are a direct question about the very reason for the state's existence!

"The Pot That Cannot Be Boiled" is an autobiographical novel based on the realities experienced directly in North Korea.
This manuscript, written by the author inside North Korea and smuggled out at the risk of his life, transcends the boundaries of literature by its mere existence, and makes us reconsider the weight and meaning inherent in the very act of "writing."
This book is written from the perspective of someone who personally experienced how the North Korean system works, so it has a depth of depth that is different from the inferences of an outsider.
Rather than simply following the events, the reader experiences a sense of being deeply immersed in the system and comes to sense firsthand how North Korean society destroys human dignity.

This book has both factual evidence and emotional resonance.
Moreover, the very act of continuing to write sentences even in extreme situations such as prison, interrogation, detention, and search is in itself a proof of freedom and an act of resistance.
This book should not be consumed as a mere accusation that only provokes anger in the name of “North Korean human rights.”
Rather, it should be used as a question to test how far our society can accept the truth and what responsibility it can take for that truth.
A voice that was on the verge of disappearing, reaching beyond the walls of censorship, asks us at this very moment whether we will continue to remain silent.

But now that he has taken even a small seat of power, he has become like a special being who came out of God's bottom hole wearing the nobleman's hat.
Change is the law of the objective world, but how it changes is the law of the human world.
People change differently depending on the social environment they are in.
Therefore, it would be right to view Kang Tae-geol's change as a normal evolution in an abnormal social environment.

--- p.98

No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed like they had come with the intention of seeing someone's yard.
Lee Yeol was dumbfounded, as if he had revealed his true feelings so quickly in front of such a witty person.
The deepening darkness was pulling him into a deep labyrinth of uncontrollable anxiety and contradiction.
The aftermath was obvious and went unspoken.
The frail Kim Young-sook cried and cried while standing on the chopping board, but it was no use.
The matter was quickly resolved with all 20 tons of pine nuts being slaughtered overnight.
It was well past 4 a.m. when a long-tailed truck began to move heavily.
The village dogs barked and denounced the exploiters.
--- p.113

The workers, who had been half-conscious from the sudden and unexpected attack, gradually began to rebel.
As the saying goes, even an earthworm squirms when stepped on, and there is a limit to how much you can endure.
Although I am a member of the crooked working class who has accepted the fate of being politically insensitive and trampled, I could not helplessly allow the foundation of life and labor that I had cultivated with my blood, sweat, and tears for even a year to be robbed.

Of course, it was not the strong, iron spirit of the proletariat, which had fought with red fists throughout the entire history of class struggle, nor did it sing the song of the International, which had broken the chains of oppression with iron arms.
It was just a low-pitched whining and a silent protest.

--- p.147

Lee Yeol could not believe that such a cruel evil practice was recognized in the socialist customs and customs that were so glorified.
With institutional tacit approval, Lee Yeol and Nam Hyeok were now being forced to die twice.
This was a cruel insult to life.
It was simultaneously a violation of life and a persecution of rights.

But no amount of eloquence could persuade the ingrained customs.
They all unanimously asserted that a dead person is a dead person, and that the living come first.

Lee Yeol ended up declaring his opinion in a tyrannical manner against the stubborn claims.
"Whether lightning strikes from the sky or divine punishment falls, I will take all the curses! I will perform the 'Gwanhonsangje' ceremonies and hold a three-day funeral! Take me home!"
Those who took a step back also blocked him, saying that they would never allow the deceased into their homes.

--- p.286

Namgung Yoon just listened in silence.
Dissatisfaction was growing in my heart.
He had every right to do that.
Don't they say that we all eat together, but that only you are responsible for cutting and slicing the food?
If you eat like this and get sick, you'll end up cleaning up after yourself.
Have you ever seen such a dirty sight, Kang Tae-geol, that bastard, got a piece of the pie for keeping his mouth shut, so why am I the only one suffering…!
Kim Kyung-sik pretended to look sorry, as if he understood his feelings.
“What can I do?
Comrade, you are under a lot of pressure because you are wearing a uniform.
Please work a little harder.
“I have all my thoughts….”
--- p.334

The former was a social problem that could not be acknowledged, and the latter was a personal problem that could not be acknowledged.
He was mired in a quagmire of contradictions.
To find a clear answer, I still had to navigate a long and arduous path through thorny bushes and endure many painful and painful taunts of fate.
But that was for the future.
Isn't what we are facing right now the present?
So the reason is to take root today.
--- p.403

The space and time that was bustling with livelihood began to be swallowed by the jaws of darkness.
Before I knew it, blood was flowing out from the end of the sword, and the sky and earth were dyed red.
The savage darkness will swallow up every ray of light that remains.
It was now only a matter of time before dusk turned to darkness.
As if the desperate sight of the fading light was heartbreaking, Lee Yeol stared blankly at the blood on the window sill beyond the iron bars.
His philosophical reflections on the common principles and laws at work in both the natural and human worlds lead him to reflect on himself, who is shedding blood and falling.
My heart, bursting with indignation, will dye the sky with blood… .
--- p.487

I thought about the title for a very long time.
Because I wanted to capture the essence of what I was trying to say in the title.
Then, three concepts came to mind: ‘water’, ‘fire’, and ‘pot’.
Water represents humans, fire represents the nation, and the kiln represents a society that organically combines the two.

The original kiln was a great invention that brought about harmony between water and fire, which were in conflict with each other.
But North Korea is a society that is full of holes and broken like a 'pot that cannot be boiled'.
I wanted to symbolically express the contradictory relationship and reality between the state and its people.
--- From "Author Interview"

Before I defected, I showed this manuscript to some people I trusted, and they were surprised and said, “Was it really this bad?”
Even people who have lived their entire lives in North Korea react that way, so I wondered how much more ignorant people outside must be.
It was at that point that I felt compelled to share this manuscript with the world.
--- From "Author Interview"

I hope you remember that the North Korean issue is not a story of a distant country, but rather the story of our people, who speak the same language and share the same history.
Furthermore, I hope that we will empathize with their pain, pay even a little attention to improving human rights, and not forget each other as Koreans.
I sincerely hope that this book will serve as that opportunity.

--- From "Author Interview"