The Orphan Master's Son

Jun Do slips in and out of consciousness, recovering from the shark bite and his interrogation. The Captain has him brought to the Second Mate’s apartment where he is cared for by the Second Mate’s wife. Young and attractive, she believes she will be sent to Pyongyang as a hero’s widow and given to another man. As he recovers and looks around the room, Jun Do sees a pair of Nike shoes that he believed had been thrown back into the sea, as well as a chart of the Junma’s course. The Second Mate’s wife tells Jun Do that her husband was responsible for the fire aboard the Junma months earlier.

The Captain visits Jun Do to ask for a favor. As a hero, Jun Do will be entitled to a reward and the Captain wants Jun Do to request that his wife be returned.

Jun Do’s interrogator visits and gives him a medal for heroism. Jun Do says that he only wants to go back to his boat, but the old man tells him that the Captain has asked that he not be returned to the Junma. He tells Jun Do that as a hero, he’ll need to be presentable for the media, so they can “stick it to the Americans who did this to you” (104).