June/July 2007

Liberty in North Korea | LiNK Newsletter

Updates from LiNK Worldwide

Greetings!

Read on for the latest news from LiNK, and the worldwide movement for North Korean human rights!

Message from the Director

Dear Friends,

This summer, we have focused much of our attention internally, building a stronger infrastructure within our organization, and mapping out a solid strategy for advocacy, awareness and activism for the years ahead. This movement deserves concerted, consistent and collaborative efforts, and it is my pleasure to say that from our vantage point the movement is increasing in depth and sophistication. Last week saw the Korean Church Coalition (KCC) in its inaugural Washington, DC outreach event - hundreds of pastors from every state in the United States flew out to Washington, stood on the Capitol lawn for hours in the scorching sun, and made their voices heard on behalf of North Korean refugees. Later, pastors visited offices of their representatives and senators, pressing them to sign onto their initiative. The campaign has already picked up endorsements from Senators Sam Brownback and Barack Obama, two presidential contenders, as well as Congressman Frank Wolf. We are sure there are many others to come.

This month we also said goodbye to the oldest staff member at LiNK Headquarters, Lori Kim. Ms. Kim joined the office when an office did not yet exist, and was an indispensable part of building this organization, and guiding our grassroots in the right direction. She consistently led by example, from helping organize conferences throughout this country, to filming street activists and protests in Seoul, to participating in underground fact-finding missions around the globe. As Abigail Adams once wrote: “We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.” Ms. Kim was a rare exception to such an adage. After two years of service, her absence will be noticeable but thankfully, our cause has found new fighters to take her place. We thank Ms. Kim for her work and the inspiration she provided many of us.

As summer winds down, LiNK is preparing several exciting new initiatives and programs all over the world for release. October will see our inaugural Benefit Gala (more information forthcoming!); the 2007/2008 Presidential Elections in both South Korea and the United States provide exciting opportunities to bring this cause to new and important audiences; we are preparing large-scale outreaches in South Korea this fall and winter, and we are actively planning operations for refugees in hiding throughout the world.

Finally, LiNK is rapidly expanding its refugee resettlement and acculturation programming, providing resources for refugees newly arrived in free nations, and training for resettlement agencies that place and counsel refugees in their new communities.

As always, we are grateful for your support. It is a tired phrase, but this work would absolutely not be possible without your help.

Onwards and Upwards!

Adrian Hong
Executive Director

Concentrations of Inhumanity Report Release



Freedom House and LiNK co-sponsored the release of a new report by Freedom House entitled Concentrations of Inhumanity. On June 6, the report’s author David Hawk, a former executive director of Amnesty International USA and former director of the Cambodia Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, discussed the distinction between “commonplace human rights violations” and “crimes against humanity.”

In the report, Mr. Hawk calls for the international community to recognize the egregious human rights abuses in the DPRK as crimes against humanity and for the North Korean government to bring the kwan-li-so labor camps into compliance with international norms and to amend the practices that run afoul of standards set forth by international law.

Among the invited speakers for the panel discussion, David Scheffer, former US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, addressed the North Korean government’s responsibility to reverse these crimes against humanity and the individual criminal responsibility of the leaders of North Korea. L. Gordon Flake, Executive Director of the Mansfield Foundation, discussed how the report should be considered in regards to the views of two groups that would not welcome the report: “North Korea exceptionalists [and] those people who think that the nuclear issue rules over everything.” Dr. Jae H. Ku, Director of the US-Korea Institute at the School of Advanced International Studies, asked how the DPRK’s crimes against humanity should be brought to the UN Security Council agenda and how much more evidence will be needed to prosecute the North Korean government in the International Criminal Court.

Freedom House, LiNK and other organizations will continue to distribute the report to policymakers in hopes of raising the profile of human rights in discussions with North Korea.

This week, LiNK’s Executive Director Adrian Hong will travel with report author David Hawk and Freedom House Director of Advocacy Paula Schriefer to Ottowa, Canada, to brief Canadian government leaders about NKHR concerns and what this report means. They will also be participating in a public discussion relating to the event in Toronto.

For more information, email info@linkglobal.org.

IHT: “Born and raised in a North Korean gulag”

published July 9, 2007

“Shin [Dong Hyok], now 24, was a political prisoner by birth. From the day he was born in 1982 in Camp No. 14 in Kaechon until he escaped in 2005, Shin had known no other life. Guards beat children, tortured grandparents and, in cases like Shin’s, executed family members. But Shin said it did not occur to him to hate the authorities. He assumed everyone lived this way.”
“He had never heard of Pyongyang, the capital city 55 miles to the south, or even of Kim Jong Il, the North Korean leader.”

As the world continues to play politics and avoid addressing human rights, the people of North Korea continue to suffer. Read more of the International Herald Tribune’s article entitled “Born and raised in a North Korean gulag”, by Choe Sang-Hun.

Click here for more.

Recent Events

LiNK at Google



June 29, 2007
San Francisco, California

Executive Director Adrian Hong was recently invited to speak at the Googleplex, global headquarters of Google. On June 29, 2007, at Google’s Mountain View, California facility, Mr. Hong spoke to congregated staff from different divisions throughout the Google world about the North Korean human rights and refugee crises, and about LiNK’s work. Google offices around the world also videoconferenced in to the Tech Talk. Google regularly hosts prominent celebrities, musicians, artists, writers, journalists, experts and political leaders to the Googleplex to speak to Google employees about leading issues of concern and interest.

LiNK is currently working on several exciting initiatives utilizing Google technology and applications. Stay tuned for more information!

JACL National Youth Conference

June 30, 2007
San Francisco, California

Director Hong was also recently invited to speak at the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) National Youth Conference, on June 30, 2007, at Santa Clara University. Mr. Hong led two seminars on the NKHR crisis and LiNK’s work, and was invited to return to speak at the JACL’s National Convention in Salt Lake City in 2008. Members and leadership of the JACL have expressed strong interest in pushing for North Korean human rights to become a part of the JACL National Platform - a first for any ethnic advocacy organization in America.

“As the Japanese American Citizens League is the oldest and largest Asian American civil and human rights organization, it is our duty to act and respond accordingly when issues of this magnitude [NKHR] come across our radar,” said Brandon Mita, 2007 JACL Fellow. “We, as the JACL, must do diligence to our creed and our mission by standing up for North Korean human rights.”

Refugee Resettlement Seminar

June 27, 2007

LiNK staff recently led a special training seminar for two leading Refugee Resettlement Centers in the United States responsible for placing and transitioning North Korean refugees in America. Staff members briefed resettlement staff about the special needs of North Korean refugees, particularly due to their historical background, cultural differences and ideological beliefs. LiNK also provided attendees with practical suggestions and resources to create a deeper understanding of the unique experiences of these newly settled refugees in the US.

“I have dealt with refugees for over 20 years,” said one anonymous resettlement worker. “But I have never seen anyone as afraid as these.”
LiNK is currently preparing briefings for other major agencies throughout the nation, as well as in other nations currently resettling NK refugees; in addition to resettlement workshops for the refugees themselves, to help acculturate them to their new societies.

Help Resettle NK Refugees!

As the number of North Korean refugees arriving in the US for resettlement increases, we can also expect increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (children or teenagers), many of them orphaned entirely, and all who will be starting new lives in America.

We are seeking families to become foster families for these children that can help to serve as a bridge between two very different cultures. Families with a Korean-American background or Korean-speaking ability are a plus. If you are interested, please email jimin (at) linkglobal.org, with the subject line “Resettlement Families”, as well as your location.

We are also seeking local mentors, translators and general “buddies” to volunteer at resettlement centers across the US, to befriend and to help transition newly arrived North Koreans. If you are interested in volunteering in your local area to help resettle refugees, please send a resume and a cover letter to jimin (at) linkglobal.org, explaining your interest and experience; subject line “Resettlement Volunteer”.

Opportunities at LiNK!

Volunteer Grant Writers

Seeking a few dedicated and experienced grant writers to research, develop resources, submit proposals, and secure grants and other funding opportunities; looking for part/full-time and short/long-term volunteers located in the DC area. Please email a cover letter, resume and one relevant writing sample to info (at) linkglobal.org, and put “Volunteer Grant Writer” in the subject line.

LiNK HQ Welcomes and Farewells



This month we are saying farewell to the oldest LiNK staffer here at HQ. Lori Kim, former Programs Officer, devoted nearly two years to helping to establish LiNK HQ here in the DC area, while also managing over 100 LiNK chapters. Her contributions to the cause and also to this organization have been invaluable and she will be missed. We are deeply appreciative of her time serving LiNK, and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.
We would like to welcome our newest full-time officer, Jimin Oh. Hailing from New York, Ms. Oh has been involved with LiNK since its inception in 2004. Ms. Oh will be working directly with North Korean defectors, as well as with resettled refugees all over the world, with particular emphasis on resettlement here in the United States.

Summer is well underway, our work continues to increase and fortunately so has our staff here at Headquarters! We welcome our summer interns: Ki Hong Lee (UC Berkeley), John Paul Kim (UIUC), Kevin Park (Pepperdine), Jennifer Yi (Swarthmore), Marina Moon (UPenn Law), Ashley Kang (Groton), and Elise Kang (Groton); and our candidates for full-time positions: Joseph Hong, Jane Chung, Esther Lee, and Alexandra Nam.

Donate to LiNK!

Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is

Don’t forget - you can make recurring, monthly donations to LiNK and the worldwide movement for North Korean human rights! With a few clicks, you can set a monthly contribution from your credit card - funds that will go toward LiNK’s growing network of underground shelters in China, rescue missions, humanitarian aid projects inside North Korea, and international advocacy for these vulnerable and voiceless people.
All contributions are, of course, tax-deductible!

Contact Information
email: info@linkglobal.org

phone: 202.714.LiNK

web: http://www.linkglobal.org

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