Kang Chol Hwan was born into a loyal family that had once lived in the large Korean community of Japan. In Kyoto, his grandfather had been supporter of Kim II Sung, North Korean’s Great Leader since 1945. In 1961 the grandfather returned with his family to North Korea and had important government post. Within months, however, he was complaining to friends that North Korea was not the country he had expected. He was shocked to see so much poverty, which he eventually came to blame on the government’s stifling left for work and never returned. One morning in July 1977, when Kang was nine, his grandfather left for work and never returned. A few weeks later, seven plain clothes security guard stormed into Kang’s house “Your grandfather betrayed the fatherland,” one of them stated” You must be punished.” Kang’s parents and grandmother sobbed as they forced to pack their belongings into two army trucks. The family was driven off, but Kang’s mother was left behind, “spared” because her own father was regarded as a revolutionary hero. That was the last Kang ever saw her.

Kang Chol Hwan dilahirkan dalam keluarga setia yang pernah tinggal di komunitas besar Korea di Jepang. Di Kyoto, kakeknya telah menjadi pendukung Kim II Sung, Pemimpin Besar Korea Utara sejak 1945. Pada tahun 1961, sang kakek kembali bersama keluarganya ke Korea Utara dan menduduki jabatan penting di pemerintahan. Namun, dalam beberapa bulan, dia mengeluh kepada teman-temannya bahwa Korea Utara bukanlah negara yang dia harapkan. Dia terkejut melihat begitu banyak kemiskinan, yang akhirnya dia salahkan pada pemerintah yang menyesakkan untuk bekerja dan tidak pernah kembali. Suatu pagi di bulan Juli 1977, ketika Kang berusia sembilan tahun, kakeknya pergi bekerja dan tidak pernah kembali. Beberapa minggu kemudian, tujuh satpam berpakaian preman menyerbu ke rumah Kang "Kakekmu mengkhianati tanah air," salah satunya menyatakan "Kamu harus dihukum." Orang tua dan nenek Kang terisak-isak ketika mereka dipaksa untuk mengemas barang-barang mereka ke dalam dua truk tentara. Keluarga itu diusir, tetapi ibu Kang ditinggalkan, “dihindari” karena ayahnya sendiri dianggap sebagai pahlawan revolusioner. Itu adalah terakhir kali Kang melihatnya.