To date, more than 33,000 North Korean defectors have arrived to South Korea, and their experiences range from being utterly invisible to simply struggling to blend in. 

Photojournalist Tim Franco’s new book, “Unperson,” documents the lives of 15 defectors who left the DPRK and took a harrowing route through Asia in pursuit of another life. The book retells their stories through portrait photographs, diverse landscape shots and in-depth interviews, where defectors told Franco about everything from dating as a defector in South Korea to the hardships of pursuing a career in a competitive, capitalist society.