Escape from Camp 14: Chapter 12 Summary & Analysis

At the Camp 14 garment factory, Shin is responsible for repairing sewing machines—a tough job, since the machines break down constantly. Often, the repairmen take out their anger on the female garment workers, slapping and kicking them. Shin is encouraged to be brutal with the women in the factory. One day, he sees a coworker named Gong Jin Soo hitting a woman, and Shin retaliates by hitting Gong in the head with a wrench. Shin’s foreman slaps Shin but didn't punish him any further. From then on, Gong keeps away from Shin.

During his time in the garment factory, Shin works alongside hundreds of woman. This creates sexual tension in the factory—especially because Shin is still a virgin (like most of his peers). Sometimes, Shin’s superiors force female underlings to have sex with them—they have no choice but to comply. One especially beautiful seamstress named Park Choon Young is often called into the superintendent’s office for sexual favors. Then it becomes obvious that she’s pregnant, at which point “she disappeared.”

In 2004, Shin accidentally breaks a heavy sewing machine it. His foreman, who’s been very patient with him in the past, slaps him and reports the damage. Shin is then called in to the superintendent’s office, and the chief foreman hacks off his middle finger with a knife. Shin isn’t given much medical treatment, but, remembering how Uncle treated his wounds with salty cabbage, he dips his wound in soup, and succeeds in preventing an infection from spreading. The foreman, a patient man, fills in for Shin for two days after his injury, but he disappears soon after. Before disappearing, the foreman gives Shin some rice flour, saying it’s from Shin’s father. Shin refuses to eat it.

Snitching is very common in the factory. A coworker snitches on Shin for sneaking food from the vegetable garden outside. The next day, Shin is called into the superintendent’s office, and the superintendent hits him with a stick. Afterwards, however, Shin is asked to spy on his coworkers. Two months later, Shin learns of a worker named Kang Chul Min, who has stolen cloth from the factory in order to repair his pants. Shin reports Kang, and Kang is later beaten for ninety minutes. Shin and the other factory workers are ordered to slap Kang in the face—Shin does so without hesitation.