I recently watched a documentary called "beyond utopia" which captured some stories of north Korean defectors escaping through China. When describing why they decided to defect even concerning the risks to their family and friends it always comes back to how they weren't part of certain classes and were forced to do so.

The "Cult of the Free" as you described adds another dimension, in addition to the hardships these defectors are those who are either unable or unwilling to exhibit loyalty to the regime 🤔

thanks for sharing