Women’s History Month: Honoring the Bravery of North Korean Women
By: Jennifer Kim
Jennifer* is Liberty in North Korea’s Field Manager. Over the years, she’s carefully stewarded our secret rescue routes and helped countless North Korean refugees reach safety and freedom.
Approximately 70% of North Korean defectors are women. Throughout their journey, they face unimaginable challenges, including human trafficking, confinement, and sexual violence.
For Women’s History Month this year, we asked Jennifer to share her experiences supporting North Korean women who have made the brave decision to escape, and bring light to the stories of real people behind the numbers and statistics.
A Transformative First Mission
When I first began this line of work, I was filled with both excitement and anxiety. “Will I be able to connect well with these people?” “Will the field be too dangerous?” Even in my position as a staff member, there were times when the situations we encountered felt riskier because I was a woman.
On my first mission, the group we brought to safety were all women. From their small requests, like asking for sanitary pads, to moments where they cautiously shared their harrowing experiences of human trafficking in China, I found that we could connect on a deeper level because I was also a woman. I realized my role wasn’t just to be a staff member, but to stand by these people as they needed me, as a fellow woman. From then on, the fear I had initially felt about this work transformed into conviction.
North Korean Women At the Forefront of Resistance and Survival
After meeting many North Korean women defectors, I’ve come to learn that there are unique challenges and experiences that only they face. Women in North Korea are not as restricted to job assignments as men, so they’re the ones actively engaged in informal economic activities. They’re running their own black-market businesses and trading smuggled goods, shifting economic power from the regime into the hands of the ordinary people.
Women also make up the majority of North Korean defectors at over 70%. In freedom, they’re leading advocacy efforts and raising awareness for this issue.
I've come to think that perhaps women in North Korean society were the first and most desperate to stand up in resistance.
At the same time, the reality is that women are more vulnerable to gender violence and crime. The moment they cross the North Korean border and set foot on Chinese soil, their precarious legal status and the fact that they are women become risk factors that can lead to human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and forced prostitution. If these dangerous situations lead to pregnancy and childbirth, women often remain in China for years, even decades, weighed down by the conflicting emotions of their longing for freedom and their maternal instincts.
All of the women I met during my first rescue mission were survivors of being trafficked into forced marriages. While there are some cases where these women meet kind families and live in a relatively less dangerous environment, most have to endure difficult lives. One woman who we rescued in 2024 said that in the early stages of her life in China, she was confined and tied up in a single room by the man who bought her. Others had to do forced labor in one of China’s many factories.
Not a News Story, But a Person’s Story
About ten years ago, I watched a video of a woman my age testifying about the hardships and sexual violence she experienced during her defection from North Korea. As a South Korean, I couldn't believe that such things were happening just across the border. Shocked and ashamed of my indifference, I cried for a long time, then resolved to do something.
North Korea used to be something I only saw and heard about through a TV screen. Now those distant news stories have become the personal experiences of the North Korean mothers and friends I’ve met in the field.
At first, I simply wanted to help as best I could. But as time went on and I met more North Koreans, my perspective gradually changed. Now, I feel like I'm not so much ‘helping’ as I am meeting incredible superwomen who have overcome tremendous adversity.
My role is to constantly remind them of their resilience and potential, so they don't forget it themselves.
“This is My First Time Being Treated Like a Queen”
After a successful mission, our team ensures our newly arrived North Korean friends have a proper meal, get some rest, and receive basic necessities. On one occasion, one woman told me, “This is the first time in my life that I have been treated like a queen.”
She had just reached freedom after ten years in a forced marriage to a Chinese man. Her words resonated with me deeply. I realized once again that our work isn't simply about helping people achieve physical freedom; it's about restoring a person's forgotten dignity.
That woman has since resettled in South Korea and runs a small shop. She’s continued to stay in contact with LiNK, sharing updates about her life. One day, she shyly announced her marriage. She’s starting a new chapter with a person she chose and wanted.
Walking Together In Solidarity
Through the friendships I’ve made and stories I’ve witnessed in the field, my connection to this issue has deepened over time. These women aren’t just “nameless” North Koreans, but people like us, living their daily lives; someone’s daughter, sister, or mother. I didn’t set out to do this work for over a decade. But day by day, hearing each story, meeting each person, and holding their hands has naturally led me down this path.
Listen to their stories, and I believe that you too will encounter a heart for the North Korean people.
– Jennifer Kim, LiNK Field Manager
*Jennifer is a pseudonym used to protect our field manager’s identity and avoid compromising this work.
Help North Koreans Win Their Freedom
From inside the country to on the global stage, North Korean women are driving change on this issue. Driven by necessity, desire to care for their loved ones, and aspirations to forge their own path in this world, their pursuit of freedom is both intentional and instinctive.
Liberty in North Korea doesn't just extend a helping hand to North Korean refugees—we’re cultivating the next generation of North Korean leaders, entrepreneurs, and advocates, and doing this work alongside them.
Become a monthly donor today at $20 per month to help more North Koreans reach safety and gain full authorship of their lives in freedom.
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At the Forefront of North Korean Human Rights Work | LiNK Organizational Update
Liberty in North Korea welcomes Sarah Yun as our new Chief Regional Officer (CRO), South Korea, as our previous South Korea Country Director, Sokeel Park, transitions into a new role as our Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). Sarah and Sokeel will collaboratively lead LiNK’s South Korea operations while growing LiNK’s impact through their respective areas of expertise.
Over a Decade of Dedication to Human Rights
Sarah Yun brings a wealth of experience and expertise from her work to advance human rights in North Korea and across Asia during the past 15 years. She most recently served as the Country Director of Korea and Cambodia at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), managing the Institute’s operations and programs in the two countries.
Previously, Sarah was a Senior Manager for Asia at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), overseeing the Cambodia, Vietnam, North Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines programs and teams. Prior to her experience at the NED, she worked at the Center for International Private Enterprise where she managed the Cambodia and North Korea programs, in addition to the Papua New Guinea program and field office.
“I have had the opportunity to work on issues related to various countries in Asia at a variety of institutions throughout my career, but my greatest passion has always been to envision a North Korea where its people can choose their own future. I am deeply inspired by the stories and resilience of the North Korean people and am committed to supporting their leadership and efforts toward a better future.”
– Sarah Yun, LiNK CRO
Sarah holds a BA in Political Science and Business Institutions from Northwestern University and MA in International Relations and International Economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Her journey with LiNK began in college, when she came across her campus LiNK Team.
“I first learned about LiNK during my college years, when chapters began to emerge across the United States. Since then, I have respected the organization’s mission and work. When I was given the opportunity to work at LiNK, I had great anticipation and excitement at the thought of joining and supporting North Koreans' journey toward a free and open future. Together with the LiNK team, I hope to contribute to amplifying the leadership and voices of young North Korean defectors in creative and impactful ways.”
– Sarah Yun, LiNK CRO
A Strategic Shift
As LiNK continues to expand and refocus our programs in response to the evolving needs of this issue, there was a timely opportunity to bring on Sarah and diversify the organization’s impact.
As CRO, Sarah Yun will lead LiNK’s South Korea team, oversee our Capacity Building Programs, and represent the organization in South Korea. Sokeel Park will jointly represent LiNK alongside Sarah and maintain key collaborative efforts with external stakeholders. As CSO, Sokeel’s scope will also encompass the development of the organization’s broader strategy and Information Access Programs (IAP). Moving forward, IAP is an area of work which we are expanding as a crucial way to support North Koreans driving change inside the country, and achieve our vision.
North Korean refugees consistently tell us that getting more outside information into North Korea is crucial for empowering North Koreans to change their country. The importance of this area of work has only increased in recent years, so it is vital that we are able to increase the resources and time we are investing into these strategies. I’m extremely grateful to our donors for joining with us and making this expansion and these initiatives possible.”
– Sokeel Park, LiNK CSO
This is a challenging time for North Korean people, refugees, and the issue. We are grateful to Sarah for bringing her experience and expertise to LiNK and everyone whose support sustains our organization and enables us to grow.
We look forward to increasing our impact with Sarah’s leadership and sharing updates about our progress with our supporters.
