Friends,
We have come a long way together since March 27, 2004 – the day LiNK was created. It was born of a powerful, visceral reaction to the injustices that played out before our eyes. Innocents imprisoned and tortured. Women sold as chattel. Children stolen or abandoned, left to fend for themselves. Then, as today, we knew: this cannot be right. This cannot be the way humans were meant to live. And thus, in an attempt to seek a solution, LiNK came to be.

We have come a long way from that first Summit held in 2004; a small gathering of a few dozen dedicated young and aspiring activists in over their heads. For two days they met on plastic desks arranged on the grounds of a local Tae Kwon Do school in San Diego, made this cause their own, and committed to real, concerted action on behalf of a people they had never met, whose plight gripped their hearts and, quite often, haunted their dreams.

LiNK was created for one purpose and one purpose only – to find real solutions to the suffering of the North Korean people. Four years out, we have yet to find a real, sustainable solution. North Korea remains under a cruel dictatorship unrivaled in the world. Refugees remain on the run – hunted, exploited and repatriated by unsympathetic neighbors to the DPRK. The human rights agenda remains off the list of priorities for governments and institutions around the world.

At the same time, we have, together, saved lives. Through the sacrifices of several dedicated LiNK field workers and the cooperation of some key players, refugees have found shelter, friendship, food and care, and a lucky few, freedom. Through the generous donations of our supporters, policymakers in Washington, New York, Brussels, Geneva, London, Paris, Ottawa, Prague, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and other centers around the world have learned of this crisis and pledged their support. We have not yet won this fight – and it will prove to be a most difficult one – but we have made a great deal of progress. We have learned a great deal more about this cause, the powers that be, and the key players that must line up. We have learned what works and what does not. We have been able to engage policymakers in effective ways and win allies at all levels. We have helped to raise the consciousness of a new generation of activists and advocates. We have changed policies, won small battles and saved lives. And we will do more as we move forward.

This past summer, I had the privilege of serving as a visiting lecturer at Seoul’s Ewha University. I taught a course entitled, “America, Human Rights and Foreign Policy.” For weeks, my students and I analyzed every major genocide and humanitarian crisis in the past century – from the Armenian Genocide to the Holocaust, the Khmer Rouge to the current crisis in Darfur. We discussed important questions – why did people die? How did it all take place? Most importantly: What did the world do in response?

The sad truth emerged: in almost every situation, the world looked on and did nothing while hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, suffered from starvation, atrocity, disease or murder. We will not allow this to be the case in North Korea. We cannot fail.

This summer has been a fruitful and busy time for us here at LiNK. We have reassessed our work and effectiveness in every area and at every level – from the grassroots to advocacy, from underground shelters to policy debates. We have looked at the progress we’ve made so far, and where we hope to be headed, and have made some difficult decisions for the sake of this cause. For four years, LiNK has been trying to be a complete solution – working end-to-end, attacking the symptoms and problems simultaneously, working hard to raise awareness, stimulate advocacy, and engage in field work. We have realized that we cannot do all things at the same time, and still do them all well.

This coming January will see the emergence of a new, improved LiNK. LiNK will narrow its mandate and focus to two particular areas of strength – raising widespread awareness in the grassroots, and activism in the streets and field. The organization will focus on building an international base of voices, donors and advocates for this cause, and expand its field operations throughout the world – from underground shelters and safe houses throughout Asia, to refugee resettlement projects in South Korea and the United States. Beginning now, LiNK will be helmed by the very capable Hannah Song, who until now has served for two years as Deputy Director of LiNK. As you may be aware, Miss Song left a promising career in advertising in New York, taking significant pay and prestige cuts to work in Washington. She has been a tremendous part of what LiNK has been able to accomplish. All of our dynamic core leadership, who remain active at Headquarters and around the world, took a chance and cast their lot in with an untested organization with no funds and assets to speak of. Their talent and abilities have made up for my shortcomings in leadership.

On another front, I will be leaving LiNK to plant the seeds for renewed, sustained and intensified political advocacy and policy work for this cause. It is an area in dire need of more resources, voices and energy. The few noble groups who have tirelessly functioned as a voice in the wilderness have often been pushed aside or drowned out despite their best efforts. We cannot control the circumstances surrounding this issue. We cannot prevent North Korea from launching missiles or testing bombs, and pushing the dialogue to be one exclusively about security and stability. But we can make a stronger, better case for the protection of human rights on the peninsula. With the help of top scholars, experts and leaders, we can attest to the linkages and mutual dependencies of stability and human rights, security and humanitarian conditions – a discussion that is sorely lacking in our broader policy debates. We can press for the notion that policy must be realistic and achievable, but also be morally compelling and comprehensive. It is our hope that, with the help of many others, we will be able to make the case for the forgotten North Korean people. We believe a strengthened advocacy front coupled with an energized grassroots base will prove to be the beginning of the end of this crisis.

Despite the inherent weight of this cause, the future looks bright. History marches on, and has shown that the days of dictators, juntas and oppression are always numbered. Progress always has its way. Liberty will come for the North Koreans soon. The next few months and years look extremely promising and exciting, and I will leave details to LiNK’s new Executive Director Hannah Song to relate to you in the coming months.

It has been a tremendous privilege and honor to serve this most worthy cause. It has stretched and deepened my heart and soul, and taught me about what really matters in life. LiNK’s successes have been fruits of the labors of a great many individuals – unnamed field workers, HQ officers, local coordinators and hard-working volunteers and supporters throughout the world, and key allies in various governments, offices, NGOs and agencies. Thank you for your service and commitment!

May we soon have no reason to exist.

With gratitude,
Onwards and Upwards!

Good luck man.

Words fail to describe how stupid the anti-beef issue has become and how people are so drawn by it (i.e. by use of violent tactics).

It seems natural that Koreans ought to be the ones leading the fight for North Korean human rights, but it seems they have abdicated that right a long time ago.

In my opinion, it’s time for LiNK to move out of South Korea.

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

Message from the Director

Friends,

I write from Seoul, Korea, where perhaps a new consciousness for North Korean human rights and refugees may be stirring among the people. The movie Crossing debuted in theaters here last week, with very positive feedback from audiences thus far, and LiNK is working closely with the film producers to ensure as many people see the film as possible. Our Project: Real Sunshine delegates here this summer have been meeting with defector groups, activists, and advocates to forge new breakthroughs and to press for change in new, untried ways. Korean celebrities have begun to speak openly about a resurgent famine in North Korea, and some have been speaking about the need for South Koreans to take up the cause of their suffering brethren to the North.

This past weekend, LiNK delegates spent the weekend playing sports, singing karaoke and eating with North Korean defector leaders, newly resettled North Korean youth, and even young North Korean children. Amidst laughter, friendly competition and spirited songs, (A favorite karaoke song for one male defector was Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” Go figure.) we saw a heart-warming vision of what could be. For so long, the only images and stories we heard were overwhelmingly those of desperation, struggle, difficulty and heartache. Now, as the community of those who have escaped to freedom grows, we are beginning to see more hope – smiles on their faces, warmth in their words, and the slow emergence of cultural, political and social leaders among them. Even among the youngest we are seeing tremendous potential and vision emerge – and it is no small number among them who have dedicated their lives to helping those they have left behind.

From Seoul, we will do our best this summer to push along a fledgling movement for human rights in North Korea. Read on below for more updates!

Onwards and upwards!
Adrian Hong

Greetings from Project: Real Sunshine!

This year we have nearly 20 participants actively promoting and researching issues affecting the North Korean human rights cause. Our Project: Real Sunshine team will be spending three weeks in South Korea from June 22 to July 14 raising awareness in the streets of Seoul and researching the resettlement experiences of North Korean refugees and Korean public sentiment on North Korean human rights.

While many may be familiar with our “Drop Dead” initiative from Project: Sunshine 2006, this year we have taken a decidedly more inviting approach with our new “FREEZE” initiative. Our participants have been distributing fliers throughout Seoul and inviting the public to learn more about the issue and program we are working hard to promote. The “FREEZE” – incorporated with the arrow initiatives used in 2006 – has been receiving positive public feedback and we hope to encounter even more in the weeks to come.

Please continue to check updates on The LiNK Blog [ here ] and in Korean [ here ].

Update From the Field

Over the past year, reports from Southeast Asia raised concerns about the treatment and processing of North Korean refugees in Thailand. Many waited extended periods of time – some up to two years, without a sense for when processing would culminate in exit to the U.S. LiNK investigated the situation on the ground in 2007 to 2008, and led efforts to advocate on behalf of these refugees. Thanks to the help and support of various groups, organizations, and individuals who helped tremendously in these efforts, we are very happy to announce that last week, 5 North Korean defectors arrived in the U.S. from Thailand. We will continue working to ensure that refugees continue to find safe and viable ways to reach safety and asylum, and are grateful to the United States and the Royal Thai Government for their work on this issue.

Resurgent Famine to Occur in July

Recent reports from various organizations have warned of a resurgent famine in North Korea, comparable to the “Great Famine” that hit the country in the mid-1990s. Reports have indicated that the “Public Distribution System”, North Korea’s state food distribution system, has broken down not only in rural areas, but in Pyongyang as well, typically the last area to experience the same hardships felt in the rural counties. The widespread damage caused from major flooding in 2006 and 2007 has exacerbated the effects of the abnormal weather and low crop yield this season. In addition, North Korea has refused to accept or formally request aid from its neighbor South Korea, ending years of millions of tons worth of unconditional food aid that typically arrives from the South. The U.N. World Food Programme, one of many organizations predicting a major shortfall in food this year, has reported that, “North Korea faces a looming food and humanitarian crisis after a poor harvest that has caused food prices to skyrocket and supplies to dwindle.” The WFP estimates and expects North Korea’s annual food deficit to nearly double since last year to 1.83 million tons, leaving nearly 6.5 million people hungry. In the great famine of the 1990s, North Korea suffered from an estimated one to three million deaths out of a population of 23 million.

DEBRIEF: “Crossing” Screening in LA

LiNK, along with ImaginAsian Entertainment and KoreAm Journal, hosted a private pre-screening of Director Kim Tae-Kyun’s “Crossing” at the ImaginAsian Center in Los Angeles, which was attended by over 200 guests, including activists, media and representatives of the California State Assembly, the California State Senate, and the United States Congress. The audience was visibly moved and many pledged to increase their involvement in and support for this cause.

Help Send “DEFACE” to the Oscars!

DEFACE – a short film about a North Korean villager who vandalizes propaganda posters after the death of his daughter – has been nominated for Best Short Film at the 80th Annual Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. The film qualified for the nomination after winning Best Narrative Short at the 2007 Austin Film Festival, sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

According to writer, director, and executive producer John Arlotto, $10,000 must be raised by mid-July to have a print made of film to fulfill the Academy’s requirements. To donate online, please click [ here ]. To mail contributions made payable to “Fractured Atlas”, please send them to:

John Arlotto
c/o Viviane Meerbergen
PO Box 69943
West Hollywood, CA 90069

If you are in the New York City area, please also consider attending the New York premiere of DEFACE on Friday, July 18th, 6:30pm at the Asian American International Film Festival. To purchase tickets ($8-10), please click [ here ].

DEFACE is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. To view the trailer, please click [ here ].

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 Asia, rescue missions, humanitarian aid projects inside North Korea, and international advocacy for these vulnerable and voiceless people.

All contributions are, of course, tax-deductible!

Click below to donate today!

Contact Information
email: info@linkglobal.org
phone: 202.347.2150
web: http://www.linkglobal.org

Liberty in North Korea | LiNK Newsletter
Updates from LiNK Worldwide

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

Message from the Director

Friends,

Change is coming. Here in Washington, DC, the last two months saw a great deal of dialogue, debate and discussion about human rights in North Korea, among citizens, activists, advocates, scholars and public representatives. We are seeing slow but steady progress in winning new leaders and representatives to our case. In South Korea, a new President is joined by a new National Assembly this June, and both branches have shown a willingness to talk about what was once considered taboo – human rights in North Korea, and the rights of North Korean refugees.

On June 26, the movie Crossing will premier in theaters throughout South Korea, a powerful portrayal of the sufferings of the North Korean people. Our entire headquarters office, as well as some of our field protection officers, will gather in Seoul as well, spending several weeks working on engaging both the grassroots and policymaking elite, raising awareness of the crisis to the general populace, and also engaging North Korean defectors in Seoul.

To say the least, we have high hopes.

In the past month, I have had the privilege of spending just under two weeks with Dong Hyuk Shin, a North Korean defector who is the only known survivor born and raised in a North Korean concentration camp, and one of the DPRK’s “Total Control Zones” at that. Shin was born in 1982 in North Korea’s Camp Number 14 in the Kaechon region. His story is at once compelling and numbing, tragic and yet hopeful. Shin has come from a background that makes so many others’ pale in comparison, and has become a capable and passionate advocate for recognition of the atrocities happening in North Korea. Throughout meetings with policymakers and the grassroots, it has reminded us of the urgency of this cause, an urgency we lose sight of so often. As you read these words, the children Shin grew up with in Kaechon’s camp – children who have known no life outside of the camps – are still living, working, and dying in these camps. This summer, reports from various aid agencies and NGOs indicate potential losses from starvation of up to a quarter-million North Korean refugees.

We must continue to develop and improve our own efforts, and we must fight harder to make this issue one that matters to leaders around this world. This summer, we hope to make an impact in South Korea, and spark what must eventually become a domestic grassroots movement that can propel Free Korea to the forefront worldwide on this fight. Amidst what is often discouraging work, it is the energy of the grassroots and the willingness of complete strangers to help that often recharges us. Pictured here is just-turned-five David, oldest son of one of LiNK’s supporters in the Bay Area. Recently, David worked with his father to break open his piggy bank, and carefully removed exactly half of his savings – $25 – to give to the cause. He also set aside a crayon and some papers for “the North Korean children.”

We have been entrusted to do important work, and to do it effectively. We will work hard to ensure your trust is well-placed, until the day North Koreans are free. Thank you for your continued support.

Onwards and upwards,
Adrian Hong

RECAP: Shin Dong-Hyuk US Tour

LiNK hosted a nationwide speaking tour from May 1-15, 2008 for North Korean defector Shin Dong-Hyuk who was born into slavery and raised as a political prisoner in a North Korean concentration camp. Beginning with a press conference on Capitol Hill – hosted by Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Representatives Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Diane Watson (D-CA) – Mr. Shin shared his story and perspectives on North Korea and the world that was hidden from him until recently, and urged the world to stop the grave injustices in the North.

LiNK’s Directors, who accompanied Mr. Shin, also shared new developments and information about the crisis, refugee situation and LiNK’s resettlement activities, and how the public can get involved.

The following week, LiNK hosted a private pre-screening of Director Kim Tae-Kyun’s Crossing at The ImaginAsian Theater in New York City, which was attended by over 200 guests, including activists, defectors, media and representatives of the New York State Governor and Assemblymen. The audience was visibly moved and many pledged to increase their involvement in and support for this cause. A “Brown-Bag Lunch Discussion” was also hosted at Columbia University’s Center for the Study of Human Rights, as well as a press conference and gathering with New York State Assemblymember Ellen Young.

Mr. Shin also shared his testimony and pointed the location of his former home and camp parameters and facilities on Google Earth in a “Google Tech Talk” with LiNK Executive Director Adrian Hong at the Googleplex headquarters near San Francisco. Google had previously hosted Mr. Hong for a talk in June.

Throughout the tour, mixers and happy hours were hosted at venues such as M Grill Restaurant in Los Angeles (5/14) and IndeBleu in Washington, DC (5/2), the latter co-sponsored by the Sejong Society of Washington, DC, Asian American Pacific Film, Inc. and the National Association of Asian American Professionals.

Awareness events were also held at The King’s College in New York City (5/6), Northwestern University Law School (5/9) and Foster Bank in Chicago (5/10), UC-Berkeley (5/12), UCLA (5/14) and UC-Irvine (5/15).

Full debrief coming soon at The LiNK Blog [ here ].

UPDATE: Reports Indicate Resurgent Famine Looming This Summer

Recent reports from various organizations have warned of a resurgent famine in North Korea, comparable to the “Great Famine” that hit the country in the mid-1990s. Reports have indicated that the “Public Distribution System”, North Korea’s state food distribution system, has broken down not only in rural areas, but in Pyongyang as well, typically the last area to experience the same hardships felt in the rural counties. The widespread damage caused from major flooding in 2006 and 2007 has exacerbated the effects of the abnormal weather and low crop yield this season. In addition, North Korea has refused to accept or formally request aid from its neighbor South Korea, ending years of millions of tons worth of unconditional food aid that typically arrives from the South. The U.N. World Food Programme, one of many organizations predicting a major shortfall in food this year, has reported that, “North Korea faces a looming food and humanitarian crisis after a poor harvest that has caused food prices to skyrocket and supplies to dwindle.” The WFP estimates and expects North Korea’s annual food deficit to nearly double since last year to 1.83 million tons, leaving nearly 6.5 million people hungry. In the great famine of the 1990s, North Korea suffered from an estimated one to three million deaths out of a population of 23 million.

Cars for Refugees

LiNK is seeking cars to be used by North Korean refugees resettled here in the US. If you are able to donate and would like more information, please email info (at) linkglobal.org with the subject headline “Cars for Refugees.”

All contributions are, of course, tax-deductible!

Fundraiser Highlight: RUN for LiNK

LiNK would like to thank Christine Kwon for her efforts to raise awareness for the North Korean human rights cause and $10,000 for LiNK by sacrificing her time and energy to run two! marathons.

To learn more about Ms. Kwon’s goals, or help her reach them, visit her blog [ here ].

LiNK Headquarters in Seoul

LiNK Headquarters will be in Seoul from June 21 to July 27 for Project: Real Sunshine and the Chollima Leadership Program. LiNK staff will continue to answer emails and can be reached at their respective addresses or at info (at) linkglobal.org.

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 Asia, 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: 202.347.2150
web: http://www.linkglobal.org

Few countries today can claim as staggering a list of human rights violations as North Korea.

For starters, there’s a resurgent famine driven by gross government mismanagement that threatens millions of lives, hundreds of thousands of political prisoners languish in concentration camps, and an estimated half-million refugees remain in hiding from forced repatriation that often results in torture and execution.

As the situation grows ever more desperate for those fleeing the world’s most repressive regime, urgent attention is needed.

The People’s Republic of China regards North Korean refugees as “economic migrants” and actively hunts them down in an effort to prevent a mass migration through the long Chinese-North Korean border, in violation of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Reports from the field indicate that China is offering increasingly lucrative bounties for cases that lead to arrest and repatriation.

North Koreans seeking asylum in countries that do not repatriate refugees are put in severely overcrowded detention centers, sometimes for well over a year, before being issued exit visas.

In light of this, it is fair to say that international institutions have totally failed in their duty to protect refugees and curtail human rights violations.

Regarding the increasing bounties for refugees, I was going to post this but I could not really confirm it.

While the opinion piece urges governments to do more for the North Korean people, it is even better if individuals take matters into their own hands.

It’s been almost a year since you launched your new website. Looks great. Now please update it. As a matter of fact, I’ve met the web designers in a job (didn’t get it though) interview last year and, according to them, updating it is a breeze. I notice that the news section is updated occasionally, but that’s someone else content (my news feed is done automatically by the spiders at Google). Even I, now juggling two jobs, can find the time to write something once a day (most of the time). Even if it means copy/paste old press releases would be great. In this Web 2.0 environment where users demand a constant flow of content, there no excuse for organizations seeking an online presence to display old content, much less 10 months old content. Hell, I’ll do it for you, for free.

your adoring fan,

kyochan

September 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,

As difficult and hopeless this cause sometimes seems, when circumstances appear to be at their worst, something always happens to inspire us and remind us that change is not only possible, it is inevitable.

Two weeks ago, a very generous donor donated $150,000; and pledged an additional $150,000 for early next year; enabling us to cover all overhead fees for the next full year. This means that for the first time, LiNK will not have to worry about paying utilities or office rent. This also means that for the first time, LiNK will be able to pay its staff members modest salaries for their work!

This development also means that all of your contributions this year will go 100% toward our advocacy programs, awareness initiatives and field operations! This also means that instead of planning project to project, month to month, we can stabilize our organization and delve into longer term planning and strategies, with the knowledge that we will be able to provide resources to run our programs as we continue to move forward. I’d like to express our most deepest gratitude to the special donor for their critical contribution. It has truly provided our organization the fuel to rise to a higher level, and we could not be more appreciative.

Next month, LiNK will be holding its Inaugural Benefit Gala, entitled, “Light of Liberty.” We will be honoring champions of our cause, as well as highlighting some of our successful past programs and exciting new initiatives. If you are in the Washington, D.C. area on October 24th, 2007, please join us! We will be sending more information in coming weeks.

Friends, our organization is nothing without your support. We are not LiNK. We are merely facilitators and deliverers of the resources you empower us with. You are LiNK. Thank you for being with us in this fight as we reach new heights.

Onwards and Upwards!
Adrian Hong
Executive Director

Light of Liberty Inaugural Benefit Gala
More information to come!

Awardee: U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-CA)

U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) is serving his eighth term in Congress representing Southern California’s 40th District, based in Orange County. In 2001, Rep. Royce introduced H.Con.Res. 213, which called on the Chinese government to provide asylum to North Korean refugees and Beijing to cooperate with the U.N.H.C.R. to resettle these refugees in third countries. Two years later, he introduced H. Res. 109, which urged the U.N.C.H.R. to pass a resolution addressing North Korean human rights. As a cosponsor of the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 [H.R. 4011], Rep. Royce stated at the North Korea Freedom Day Rally that “The human rights situation in North Korea is abysmal. It is important that we stand up and speak out, especially when human rights are being so wantonly disregarded as they are in North Korea. For the 110th Congress, Rep. Royce also serves as a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees.

Awardee: Kang Cheol Hwan

When President George W. Bush sought to understand the grim realities of human rights abuses in the D.P.R.K., he and his closest advisors turned to Kang Cheol Hwan’s harrowing memoir of growing up in a North Korean concentration camp. When he was nine years old, the author – along with members of his family – was sent to the notorious labor camp Yodok, where for ten years he observed frequent public executions and endured forced labor and near-starvation rations. He eventually escaped to South Korea and now, working as a journalist, gives testimony to the atrocities endured by an estimated two hundred thousand North Korean citizens who are still detained in the gulags. Part horror story, part memoir, part political tract, this story of one man’s extraordinary personal suffering offers eyewitness proof of the shocking and ongoing abuses perpetrated by the North Korean regime.

Special Remarks: Lisa Ling

Lisa Ling is the host of National Geographic’s Explorer, the flagship weekly television series of National Geographic. Her role on the Emmy Award-winning series has taken her to Colombia where she investigated the increasingly deadly drug war, China where she examined the complex issues surrounding the country’s one-child policy and the D.P.R.K., where she explored the restrictions on freedom, violation of human rights and lack of medical care. As a special correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show, she has also covered the Lord’s Resistance Army and the crisis of AIDS orphans in Uganda, bride burning in India and gang-rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ling was a co-host of ABC Daytime’s morning talk and entertainment program, The View, which won its first daytime Emmy during her time at the show.

Master of Ceremonies: Sonya Crawford

Sonya Crawford served as a special-events anchor and correspondent for ABC News based in Washington, D.C. She contributed reports to the network’s overnight and early-morning news programs World News Now and World News This Morning, as well as Good Morning America and other ABC News broadcasts and platforms. The former anchor covered the 2004 Republican National Convention, President Reagan’s funeral and the war in Iraq from D.C. and Pope John Paul II’s funeral and the conclave that chose his successor from Rome. Prior to joining ABC News, Crawford worked as a reporter and substitute anchor for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles and an associate producer at Dateline NBC in Los Angeles, where she won an Emmy Award for producing a story on the O.J. Simpson trial. She began her career as a features reporter for KBS-TV in Seoul, Korea, where she was born and raised and is an active member and past national board member of the Asian American Journalists Association.

Special Presenter: Yul Kwon

Yul Kwon, winner of Survivor: Cook Islands, was born in Queens, New York to parents who emigrated from South Korea. The family moved to the West Coast when he was six years old. Kwon has enjoyed a diverse career in both the private and public sectors in law, business and technology and served as a judicial clerk to a federal judge on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. He also worked as a legislative aide to Senator Joseph Lieberman in Washington, D.C., where he helped draft sections of the Homeland Security Bill. Several years ago, Kwon switched careers and became a management consultant at McKinsey. From there, he joined Google’s business strategy group and most recently went back into consulting. Kwon is a member of the Washington, D.C. and California State Bar Associations and currently resides in San Mateo, California.

Special Presenter: Becky Lee

Born to South Korean immigrants in Flushing, New York, Rebekah “Becky” Lee, second runner-up of Survivor: Cook Islands, was raised in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. Interested in the prevention of domestic violence, she has been working on issues concerning domestic violence survivors over the last eight years as a policy associate and attorney. She is also passionate about creating awareness of the specific needs of battered immigrant women, such as language access and cultural competency. She has previously worked as a kickboxing instructor, policy associate and legal intern. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and currently resides in Washington, D.C.

Help Raise $10k for LiNK by September 15th!

To sign up: [ link ]

LiNK has joined a $10,000 competition with up and coming online network Razoo! Please join Razoo [ here ] before September 15th in order to be eligible to vote for which group will receive $10,000 for their cause. Once the September 15th deadline has passed, Razoo! will announce to community members which groups are eligible for the prize, and how community members can vote for the group they want to win.

Based in Washington, D.C. and self-proclaimed as “the platform for social good,” the online networking group Razoo! seeks to network individuals for and amongst various causes, and help those causes reach their intended goals. The site, currently in development, can be found [ here ].

For inquiries about LiNK’s participation in the Razoo! $10k competition, contact: ally (at) linkglobal.org. For now, please sign up with Razoo and search for and join our group “Liberty in North Korea”; and when the time comes, please vote for our group to win!

Upcoming Events

KAC National Convention

Friday, September 21, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
Georgia Tech Convention Center and Hotel

LiNK’s Executive Director Adrian Hong will be giving a special presentation on the North Korean human rights crisis at the 5th Annual Korean American Coalition National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, see http://www.kacatl.org/convention/index.html

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!

Click below to donate today!

Contact Information
email: info@linkglobal.org
phone: 202.714.LiNK
web: http://www.linkglobal.org

May 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,

Things have been moving very quickly here at LiNK Headquarters. We are working to expand our underground railroad to many new nations around the globe, evaluating new routes and methods, while increasing our underground shelter presence in locations where we are already established. In the realm of advocacy, our staffers have been highly-effective in bringing in new players and broadening the chorus of voices worldwide calling for human rights improvements in the DPRK, and for the protection of refugees wherever they may be.

We are also launching many innovative new projects and initiatives, details of which will be released in forthcoming newsletters. LiNK will also be pushing our new Public Health and Legal Committees. The former is dedicated to researching the state of public health in the DPRK, identifying holes and problems and working to create solutions to save lives in a field that is generally overlooked. It will launch officially later this summer with a special, unprecedented conference.

The Legal Committee is working on legal research and strategies to ensure that states live up to their obligations internationally, both under existing treaties and conventions, and also in the realm of cutting-edge legal arguments of the past few years, making the case for the obligation of state and international actors to defend the rights of citizens worldwide, wherever they may be.

Next month, we will also be sponsoring the launch of an important new report by David Hawk, Concentrations of Inhumanity, with Freedom House, here in Washington. The report makes a powerful case for calling the tremendous human rights violations in the DPRK crimes against humanity. It is our belief that the violations in North Korea constitute crimes severe, widespread and deliberate enough to warrant action by the international community, and we will be acting to push this perspective in coming months in major platforms.

None of our work would be possible without your support. Whether you are new to LiNK or have been with us from the beginning- you are crucial to our work and this movement. On behalf of North Koreans worldwide, and our colleagues in this movement- thank you for your commitment and dedication to this cause!

Onwards and Upwards!
Adrian Hong
Executive Director

Fast for NK A Success!

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in our first international fast for North Korea! Individuals from all over the world, including parliamentarians, academics and athletes, participated in the one day event. A number of colleges and universities formed teams to fast together.

In addition, a number of Foreign Ministry officials of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) also participated anonymously. [South Korea’s government has been averse to publicity about the North Korean human rights and refugee crises].

Yul Kwon and Becky Lee, first place and third place winners of this past season’s Survivor: Cook Islands TV show, also joined the international campaign.

“How can I sit back and do nothing while my brothers and sisters are suffering in North Korea?” Becky Lee said. “It is time for all of us to step up and do what we can, with what we have, for the North Korean people.”

Funds raised from the effort will go towards raising awareness of this crisis, pursuing advocacy to help the North Korean people, and sustaining humanitarian field projects in the DPRK, and in China for North Korean refugees in hiding.

“At first when I thought of the fast and I decided to do it with you, I thought it would remind me of the past and make me sad- but doing it with everyone, it wasn’t like that at all. I am very thankful and proud of everyone who did it. In Chosun [North Korea] people starve because there is no food and it’s such a sad situation, but here we fasted for a different reason- and because it was a good reason and we did it all together, it didn’t give me feelings of sadness, but hope.” – A recently arrived North Korean defector.

Stay tuned for updates on other exciting international events, and another upcoming fast!

San Francisco Summit Wrap-up

LiNK’s final summit, held from April 19-21 in San Francisco, California, featured several days packed with workshops, seminars, lectures and intense discussion and debate about the North Korean human rights movement at large, and future directions of the movement. Special presentations on LiNK’s history, underground activities, policy directions and developments and refugee resettlement efforts worldwide, were punctuated with guest lectures by leading scholars Stephan Haggard and David Hawk, on the relationship between food aid and human rights, and the legal argument classifying human rights violations in the DPRK as crimes against humanity, respectively.

The weekend also gave time for delegates to flesh out and debate important controversies, ranging from the priorities of human rights over security and vice versa, the role of the US and the UN in pressing for human rights improvements in the DPRK, and the legitimacy of claims to sovereignty by nations who do not protect rights of their own citizens. LiNK Directors also spoke in depth about LiNK’s international advocacy strategy.

Nearly 100 international delegates participated in the weekend, including several North Korean defectors who had been sheltered, protected and escorted to freedom by LiNK.

Stay tuned for more updates on LiNK’s global advocacy strategy, and ways you can get involved!

Concentrations of Inhumanity Report Release

A new report by Freedom House, entitled Concentrations of Inhumanity and authored by David Hawk, will be released at a special event sponsored by LiNK and Freedom House on June 6, in Washington, DC. The report makes a clear distinction between “commonplace human rights violations” (such as miscarriages of justice), and “consistent patterns of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights” – or violations so terrible that they meet the criteria of being “crimes against humanity.”

In the report, Hawk calls for two immediate measures: first, for the international community to recognize the egregious human rights abuses in North Korea as crimes against humanity; and second, for the North Korean government to begin the measures necessary to bring the kwan-li-so labor camps into compliance with international norms, and amend the practices that run afoul of standards set forth by international law.

The report release will be held on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm, at the Holeman Lounge of the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

Speakers will include:
David Hawk, author of Concentrations of Inhumanity
David Scheffer, former US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues
Jay Lefkowitz, US Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea
Thomas O. Melia, Deputy Executive Director, Freedom House

Space is limited and RSVP is required. Please RSVP to communications@freedomhouse.org.

UC Berkeley Passes NKHR Resolution

On behalf of 24,000 undergraduates at the University of California, Berkeley, the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) passed on April 18 a resolution recognizing the human rights crisis in North Korea, the plight of North Korean refugees, and LiNK’s work in the field. The resolution called for a letter to Speaker of the House and Bay Area Congressional Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), pressing for diplomatic action against the DPRK for it’s human rights violations of it’s own people. Additionally, the ASUC called for “all countries of the world to hold human rights as a conditional factor in all negotiations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

The resolution, which passed unanimously, is an important signal to local Bay Area leaders about the sentiments of the UC Berkeley undergraduate community- the largest autonomous student body in the nation. It was a very successful pilot run of an effort that will be duplicated all around around the United States. Information on how your campus, city or state can participate is forthcoming!

Help Resettle NK Refugees!

As the number of North Korean refugees arriving in the U.S. 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 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 U.S., to befriend and help to 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!

Fall Interns

LiNK Headquarters is seeking a few passionate and qualified students to join us for our fall internship in our offices in the DC-Metro area. If you are a student or are interested and available this fall (September to December), please contact info (at) linkglobal.org to receive an application. Please write “Fall Intern” in the subject line.

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.

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 towards 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!

Click below to donate today!

Contact Information
email: info@linkglobal.org
phone: 202.714.LiNK
web: http://www.linkglobal.org

- Fast and send a days worth of meals for North Korean children
- Send the check

Being a college student I have much experience in skipping meals. But that’s a choice I make. For many North Koreans in North Korea and China, it is something they face everyday. Differences in purchasing power does matter. One day’s worth of meals in the US could mean many days, even weeks, in China. I can assure you that your generosity will make a difference.

Please donate today.