There is an amazing underground railroad that exists, right now. It moves North Koreans through China, and thence to the "outside world": mostly to South Korea. The politics of it is driven, like America's underground railroad of the second quarter of the 19th century, most often by people of faith. That makes for complicated motives, and ones that I sometimes disagree with. But the humanitarian aspect is undeniable. Here is a compelling video about one case study. The video is a bit melodramatic, in parts, but I think it's something people should see.
I often make light of, and even joke about, the fact that I live within "walking distance" of a "socialist workers paradise." I know that that's not the case. I am fascinated by many aspects of the North Korean polity, but I think that ultimately, from a humanitarian standpoint, it doesn't have much redeeming value.