The North Korean people can achieve their freedom in our lifetime

June 20th is World Refugee Day. As we honor North Korean refugees who risked everything to escape, we reaffirm our belief: one day, within this lifetime, there will be no more North Korean refugees. Because the North Korean people will be free.

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Ree Ha Kim
Ree Ha worked as a doctor in North Korea. Witnessing countless people die without care because of the party’s corruption, she escaped in 2015. Ree Ha is currently a university student, and aspires to build welfare systems for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities in North Korea after reunification, “so even the most vulnerable can live with dignity.”
Ju Ok Jeon
After a relative defected, Ju Ok and her family’s social classification fell. Facing a life of forced labor, she escaped from North Korea in 2013. In freedom, Ju Ok rekindled her childhood love for drawing. Today she shares the reality of North Korea and her experiences as a webcomic artist, “so the world can hear the voices of those who still long for freedom inside North Korea.”

Until All 26 Million People Are Free

Even after they have escaped, North Korean refugees are reminded of this issue every day—every moment they’re apart from their loved ones, every time they watch a K-drama without fear of punishment, and every opportunity they have to freely travel and see the world.

And so they can’t help but choose hope, for themselves and the millions of people still living in North Korea. We asked a few of our friends:

‍“It’s 2036. What does your average Tuesday in a free North Korea look like?”

Liberty in North Korea has helped more than a thousand people escape and rebuild their lives in freedom. We’re empowering a new generation of North Korean activists and leaders, and developing technology to help North Koreans still inside the country access uncensored information.

Together, we can help make a free North Korea possible in this generation.

“To me, the phrase ‘in our lifetime’ is not just an expression of hope, but a feeling of responsibility that we carry. I believe that in our lifetime, the day will come when North Korean people can speak freely, move freely, and live without fear.This future is not far-fetched, but something that becomes possible when we pay attention and stand together right now, in this very moment.”

— SuJin Kim, reached freedom in 2007

How We’ll Get There
Increasing Information Access

We work with North Korean partners and engineers to develop and distribute tailored technology and content to help more people inside the country safely access uncensored information.

Rescue and Resettlement

We’ve helped thousands of North Koreans reach safety and support them as they rebuild their lives in freedom.

Leadership and Education

We invest in the capacity of North Koreans to succeed and work towards changing the future of their country through English language programs, advocacy skill-building, and scholarships.

Awareness and Advocacy

We amplify North Korean refugee voices to reshape how the world sees this issue and mobilize a global movement of support.

Liberty in Our Lifetime

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.

The media portrays a hopeless country, a nuclear stalemate, and a brutal dictatorship. But if you look at this issue through the eyes of North Korean refugees, working tirelessly for a free North Korea, you’ll see a different story. One of hope, courage, and real progress.

Liberty in North Korea won’t happen overnight, but if we don’t act with urgency, that future will never come. Your support today can help accelerate that path to freedom for 26 million North Koreans.

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