FORBIDDEN IDENTITY

PROLOGUE: A SEPERATED FAMILY

The Korean War was over, the entire Korean peninsula lay in ruin. Three years of war had left Korea devastated. Across the nation, entire structures were reduced to rumble as far as the eye could see. Millions of lives were lost, and families were displaced. After years of recovery, Korea rose from the ashes of war to become one of the most prosperous countries in the world.

Korea's recovery was aided by the rise of Chaebols, family owned corporations that helped rebuild Korea and become a dominate force in the country's economy. Families that were once surrounded by devastation were now the wealthiest in Korea. Among the powerful Chaebols was the Shin family. The Shin family had assets in various industries and contributed much to Korea's economy. The wealth and prosperity the Shins enjoyed was a stark contrast to the poverty the family experienced after the Korean War. As with most families, the Shins witnessed their home and surrounding environment completely destroyed by bombings during the war. As Korea recovered, so did the Shin family. The Shins rebuilt their lives from the ground up. Taking advantage of every opportunity their government offered to lift themselves out of poverty.

Inless than two generations the Shins had gone from a family that losteverything, to controlling one of the most successful Chaebols in all of Korea.However, the Shin family was not complete. At the end of the war, the rest ofthe Shin family was north of the demilitarized zone, the border separatingNorth and South Korea, completely cut off from their family in South Korea. TheShins in the south had lost all contact with their family in North Korea. Yearafter year, they heard stories and news reports of the harsh conditions peoplein North Korea were living in. The Shins in South Korea knew their family inthe north was suffering but were powerless to do anything about it. All theycould do was hope for the day the entire family was reunited. Until then, the Shinslooked north, beyond the DMZ, where they knew the rest of the family was,unaware of their fate.