Untold Story of North Korea: A Life-Changing Escape & the Power of “A Necessary Lie” | Bonus Episode

Summary

The Miracle Files – True Miracle Stories

Episode: Untold Story of North Korea: A Life-Changing Escape & the Power of “A Necessary Lie” (Bonus Episode)
Release Date: March 23, 2026
Featured Guest: Heidi Tucker (Author, "A Necessary Lie")
Hosts: Emily Jones & Holly Worthington

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Episode Overview

In this gripping and emotional bonus episode, The Miracle Files dives into the true, faith-driven story behind “A Necessary Lie,” the miraculous tale of Jiyeon and Tu Hyun’s daring escape from North Korea and the extraordinary events that shaped their journey. Hosts Emily Jones and Holly Worthington welcome author Heidi Tucker, who co-wrote the book based on the couple's story, for an in-depth conversation about the life-altering lessons, miracles, and the emotional toll of bearing witness to such resilience and faith.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovering the Story & Its Profound Impact

• Heidi's Perspective Shift:
  • Heidi Tucker shares how her involvement with Jiyeon and Tu Hyun's escape story fundamentally changed her worldview, particularly regarding simple freedoms and daily comforts (01:13–02:24).
  • Quote (Heidi Tucker, 01:20):
    “Learning everything that I learned about North Korea… completely sort of rewired me. And I feel like I'm so grateful for very simple, basic things… when I step into the hot shower, I'm so grateful that the water comes out of the faucet and food in my refrigerator… I sort of took them for granted.”
• Empathy for North Koreans:
  • Heidi discusses her newfound empathy for ordinary North Koreans who have never known freedom.

2. How Heidi Became the Storyteller

• Connecting With the Story:
  • Heidi was approached by her publisher after they heard about Jiyeon and Tu Hyun’s story, emphasizing the compelling nature and the miracles throughout (02:38–03:32).
  • Heidi discusses feeling “called” to take on the project, viewing her work as a spiritual and personal mission.
  • Quote (Heidi Tucker, 03:09):
    “I really have to feel sort of spiritually that that's my next project… and I felt that with this story.”

3. The "Miracle at the Fence": A Defining Moment

• A Miraculous Escape:
  • Heidi recounts the climactic moment at the border fence between North Korea and China, highlighting Jiyeon’s mysterious crossing while pursued by guards (03:39–04:58).
  • Quote (Heidi Tucker, 04:23):
    “She said, all of a sudden, I found myself sitting at the base on the other side, and her clothes were torn, her hands were bloody, and she doesn’t remember going over the fence… Clearly I was helped.”
  • Heidi expresses how this detail, where Jiyeon attributes her escape to divine intervention or miraculous aid, still gives her “goosebumps.”

4. The Broader Miracles and Unseen Stories

• Many Untold Miracles:
  • The hosts and Heidi note that the book holds many miraculous moments not covered in the podcast (04:58–05:09).
• Movie Adaptation:
  • A film adaptation is in development, with a target release of 2027 or 2028. The script is complete and described as powerful (05:12–05:36).
  • Quote (Heidi Tucker, 05:28):
    “I've been told by the executive producer… that it'll absolutely knock your socks off.”

5. Understanding the Real North Korea

• Beyond the Headlines:
  • Heidi stresses that mainstream media reports are surface-level compared to the deeply personal, detailed story in the book (05:37–06:43).
  • She describes the story as a “love story with an escape”—a layered true story about both family/generational bonds and brutal reality.

6. The Escalating Danger For North Koreans

• Increasing Peril:
  • Recent years have seen North Korea's borders tightened under Kim Jong Un, making escapes virtually impossible and brokers unable or unwilling to help (06:57–07:27).
  • Quote (Heidi Tucker, 07:09):
    “It’s so hard to escape now that… you can’t even pay a broker to go in anymore. They just won’t. It’s too risky.”
  • Acknowledgement of the unknowns: food shortages, secrecy, and the human cost behind North Korea’s closed doors.

7. The Life-Changing Power of the Story

• Transformative Message:
  • Heidi passionately asserts that “A Necessary Lie” is the only book she’s ever promised will “change your life” (07:35–08:18).
  • Quote (Heidi Tucker, 07:46):
    “This is the only book that I have sort of publicly promised readers… that it'll absolutely change your life. And I've never said that about any of my other books… It makes you feel differently about refugees and about North Koreans…”

8. Call to Action & Staying Informed

• Book & Film Information:
  • Readers are encouraged to look up the book and follow the progress of the upcoming film via knownfilms.org (08:19–08:42).
• Additional Resources:
  • The hosts thank Heidi and promote the book and future episodes for listeners seeking more real-life stories of miracles and faith.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Freedom and Empathy:
  “I have such an empathy for… my brothers and sisters in North Korea who don’t know any better.”
  – Heidi Tucker (01:20)

• On Divine Intervention:
  “She doesn’t remember going over the fence… clearly I was helped.”
  – Heidi Tucker (04:23)

• On the Power of the Story:
  “This story will take you deep into the homes of North Korea.”
  – Heidi Tucker (08:03)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00–01:13 – Heidi’s first impressions of North Korea and initial impact
• 02:38–03:32 – How Heidi was chosen to write “A Necessary Lie”
• 03:39–04:58 – The miraculous escape at the border fence
• 05:12–06:43 – Upcoming movie adaptation and the love story thread
• 06:57–07:27 – Discussion of current conditions and difficulties escaping North Korea
• 07:35–08:18 – The book’s transformative impact
• 08:19–08:49 – Info on following the movie and staying connected

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Conclusion

The Miracle Files’ bonus episode delivers a heart-rending journey of perseverance, faith, and the miraculous, seen through the eyes of both survivors and their chronicler, Heidi Tucker. Listeners are left reflecting on gratitude, the power of untold stories, and the ongoing human struggle behind closed borders. For those inspired, further engagement with the book and future film adaptation is encouraged.

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Transcript

[Heidi Tucker]

When she got to that fence at the border of China and North Korea, she looked up and it's this huge, enormous piece of steel jetting up into the sky, and there's barbed wire at the top. And she had no idea how she was going to get over that.

[Emily Jones]

This is the Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones.

[Holly Worthington]

And I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters who love a captivating true story, but we're also seeking more light in our lives.

[Emily Jones]

So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable, uplifting stories of God's miracles. We hope you'll join us on this journey. Welcome back to the Miracle Files. In this bonus episode, Holly sat down with author Heidi Tucker. She helped Jiyeon and Tu Hyun write their story A Necessary Lie. And it is fascinating. She shared some really cool details about Jiyeon's side of the story. And in fact, there's a whole new miracle story that we weren't even aware of.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Emily Jones]

So we hope that you will enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

[Holly Worthington]

We have Heidi Tucker here.

[Heidi Tucker]

Yeah. So happy to be here.

[Holly Worthington]

Okay, so how are you affected by this story? I know how it affected us completely.

[Heidi Tucker]

Yeah. Like most of you, I knew that North Korea was up there above South Korea. I knew that there's this crazy dictator named Kim Jong Un who keeps firing off missiles and making everybody nervous. I knew it was a communist country. And that's kind of about it, you know, so. So learning everything that I learned about North Korea and then just really digging into day to day life in North Korea, it completely sort of rewired me. And I feel like I'm so grateful for very simple, basic things. You know, when I step into the hot shower, I'm so grateful that the water comes out of the faucet and food in my refrigerator. I mean, I think about those things all the time now. And I didn't. I sort of took them for granted. So I'm so grateful for the freedoms. I also have such an empathy for what I'll call my brothers and my sisters in North Korea who don't know any better.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, that is definitely how it affected us as well. We both just sat and cried.

[Heidi Tucker]

Honestly, I cried writing the book.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure you cried a lot. Okay, so how did you meet these guys? How did you end up being the writer for the book?

[Heidi Tucker]

So I met them because my publisher heard about their story. Someone had talked to him about the story. This person had heard them speak. He says, I Have your next book. Just hear me out on this, Heidi, because this is an incredible story, and if you don't get a hold of it, you know, someone else will. And I was overwhelmed on two different levels. Number one, I was overwhelmed with how incredible it was and the miracles that I saw that were happening throughout their story. And secondly, I was overwhelmed at the prospect of writing this book. But I felt called to do that, and I don't take writing projects lightly. And so I really have to feel sort of spiritually that that's my next project that I've been called to do that, and I felt that with this story.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. So what is your favorite part of the story? Hard question.

[Heidi Tucker]

Such a hard question. Something that's really incredible to me that I just have never forgotten. When I was doing some of the interviews with them, is Jeon talking about when she got to that fence at the border of China and between, you know, North Korea and China? She had made it to the. To the tall fence, and she looked up, right? And it's this huge, enormous piece of steel jetting up into the sky, and there's barbed wire at the top. And she had no idea how she was going to get over that, but she began to climb, and she told me that all of a sudden she found herself, you know, and you hear, guards, right? They're coming. I've got to get this fence. She said, all of a sudden, I found myself sitting at the base on the other side, and her clothes were torn, her hands were bloody, and she doesn't remember going over the fence.

[Holly Worthington]

Wow.

[Heidi Tucker]

And she said, clearly I was helped because she just didn't remember. And I. It gives me goosebumps just to tell it again now. And I know the story for years. And so there were so many miracles throughout this story, but that's one. So many really, really affected me when she told me about it. Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. So many miracles in their story, and we didn't. We weren't able to cover them all in our podcast, so hopefully people will read the book, too. And I guess there's a movie coming out as well. Is that right?

[Heidi Tucker]

That's right. That's right. Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

So do. Do you have any idea when that will come out or what the plan is there?

[Heidi Tucker]

The initial goal was 2027. I hope it makes that, if not certainly 2028.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Heidi Tucker]

So I know that the script is finished. I haven't. I haven't read the script, but I've been told by the executive producer, who has, that it'll absolutely knock your socks Off. So I just.

[Holly Worthington]

I'm so excited to see it.

[Heidi Tucker]

Yeah, there's so many angles to getting it on this big screen, but I hope that that really happens, and we feel passionate about it and feel like we've been called to that work, and we just want the world to know what's happening on the other side of those barbed wire fences. Because when you just read a Time magazine article or you read a newspaper article or you clue into. Into some YouTube channel that talks about North Korea, you don't get the detail.

[Holly Worthington]

No, definitely not.

[Heidi Tucker]

I kind of get the overview. And, in fact, when the Kims, when we first were sitting down talking about how to organize this book, they said to me in the beginning, they would say, you know, Heidi, this is really a love story. And I remember thinking, yeah, yeah, but let's get on to the escape, right? Yeah, there's no way. And as we began to really dig and I peeled back the layers of that onion and just really learned their story, now I'm like, yeah, that's a love story. It's a love story with an escape. And the fact that it's just completely true just blows your mind, doesn't it?

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

[Heidi Tucker]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

I still can't believe not only that they went through all of this, but that there are so many other people going through similar experiences that are just trapped in that, you know, it's really

[Heidi Tucker]

hard to think about now. Kim Jong Un has really clamped down on the borders, and he's really fortified the military force.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah, they beat it. So much harder to escape now.

[Heidi Tucker]

It's so. It's so hard to escape now that the, you know, the brokers. It's so dangerous that you can't even pay a broker to go in anymore. They just. They just won't. It's too risky. So those people are really trapped, and they just, you know, who knows how many are starving these days? You know, what kind of a food situation is happening? It's so secretive.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. So secretive.

[Heidi Tucker]

So we just don't know.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah. Well, is there anything else you want to share?

[Heidi Tucker]

Just that I write a lot of inspirational books, and there's some really great lessons in all of the books, but this is the only book that I have sort of publicly promised readers and people that learn about this story that it'll absolutely change your life. And I've never said that about any of my other books, and I love my other books, but I've never said that it'll change your life. And it really, truly does. It sort of changes your focus. It makes you feel differently about refugees and about North Koreans and forget all this surface level stuff that we hear in the news. This story will take you deep into the homes of North Korea.

[Holly Worthington]

Yeah.

[Heidi Tucker]

Yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

All right. Well, thank you so much.

[Heidi Tucker]

Thank you.

[Holly Worthington]

I really appreciate you just talking with me and sharing that.

[Heidi Tucker]

Yeah, thank you so much. And we are so excited for this to hit the big screen. It's called nuns known films.org if you want to be in on, you know, all the developments that are happening.

[Holly Worthington]

So K N o W N o

[Heidi Tucker]

w n films.org yeah.

[Holly Worthington]

Awesome.

[Heidi Tucker]

So if you, you know, sign up for emails from that, then you'll know exactly what's happening and how close we're getting.

[Holly Worthington]

Okay, great.

Well, we want to thank Heidi Tucker for sharing her thoughts with us. And if you'd like to read A Necessary lie, you can find it on Amazon or in bookstores.

[Heidi Tucker]

You can.

[Holly Worthington]

And make sure you subscribe to the Miracle Files so you don't miss a single episode. We'll see you next time. Thank you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share, contact [e-mail] or find us on social media. We release new episodes each Monday.

[Emily Jones]

Yes. So don't forget Miracle Mondays. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content as well.

[Holly Worthington]

Join us next time as we discover more of God's miracles. And don't forget to look for his light in your own lives.

[Tyler Redick]

Tyler redick here from 2311 Racing. Another checkered flag for the books. Time to celebrate with Chumba. Jump [e-mail] let's Chumba. No purchase necessary BTW group void where prohibited by law. CTNCs21+ sponsored by Chumba Casino.

[Alex Kanchwitz]

Hi, this is Alex Kanchwitz. I'm the host of Big Technology Podcast, a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to cnbc. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, in meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, listen to Big Technology Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.