LIBERTY IN NORTH KOREA
236 E 3RD ST 210, LONG BEACH, CA 90802 www.libertyinnorthkorea.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Liberty in North Korea's main purpose is to work alongside the North Korean people to accelerate change by focusing in two main strategic areas: working directly with North Korean refugees, and changing the way the world views North Korea.

WORKING WITH NORTH KOREANS: WE PROVIDE DIRECT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES AND THEIR CHILDREN IN TWO PRIMARY AREAS:1)RESCUING REFUGEES: NORTH KOREANS WHO ESCAPE INTO CHINA ARE STILL NOT SAFE. THEY FACE THE CONSTANT THREAT OF BEING ARRESTED AND FORCIBLY SENT BACK TO NORTH KOREA WHERE THEY COULD FACE SEVERE PUNISHMENT. OUR SECRET RESCUE ROUTES HELP REFUGEES AND THEIR CHILDREN SAFELY REACH FREEDOM. IN 2019, THE ORGANIZATION HELPED TO BRING 206 NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES TO SAFETY ALONG WITH 16 CHILDREN BORN IN CHINA TO NORTH KOREAN MOTHERS.2)EMPOWERING RESETTLED NORTH KOREANS: OUR RESETTLEMENT WORK FOCUSES ON BUILDING A COMMUNITY FOR NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES AND SUPPORTING A SMOOTH TRANSITION INTO THEIR NEW LIVES OF FREEDOM. WHILE THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDES SUPPORT TO RESETTLED NORTH KOREANS FOR MANY OF THEIR MATERIAL NEEDS, THERE ARE FEW RESOURCES THAT CULTIVATE EMPOWERMENT, SELF-EFFICACY, AND A SENSE OF BELONGING. SO, WE BUILT THE LINK COMMUNITY! OUR LINK COMMUNITY GATHERINGS GIVE RESETTLED REFUGEES A PLACE TO MEET OTHER NORTH KOREANS WHO UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES THEY FACE. THROUGH WORKSHOPS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND ONE ON-ONE SUPPORT, THE LINK COMMUNITY IS EQUIPPING AND EMPOWERING NORTH KOREANS TO THRIVE IN THEIR NEW LIVES. IN 2019, THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTED AND EMPOWERED 150 NORTH KOREANS. WE SAW 76 NEWLY ARRIVED NORTH KOREANS CONNECT TO OUR LINK COMMUNITY THROUGH 3 COMMUNITY GATHERINGS AND 49 WELCOME VISITS BY OUR TEAM. 17 OF OUR NORTH KOREAN FRIENDS STARTED JOBS OR FOUNDED THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, AND 13 WENT BACK TO SCHOOL TO EARN A HIGHER DEGREE.

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE ON NORTH KOREA: NORTH KOREA IS MORE THAN KIM JONG-UN AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS. THIS NARROW DEFINITION OF NORTH KOREA HAS LED TO A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT FOR THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE. BUT WERE CHANGING THAT BY REFOCUSING THE ATTENTION ON THE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF THE POLITICS THROUGH THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES:1)THE LINK ADVOCACY FELLOWSHIP: FOR DECADES THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT HAS DOMINATED THE NARRATIVE AND ISOLATED THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE, PREVENTING THEM FROM RAISING THEIR VOICES AND SHARING THEIR STORIES WITH THE WORLD. SO, WHEN RESETTLED NORTH KOREANS SHARE THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVES AND STORIES, ITS A RADICAL AND POWERFUL ACT. WHEN THEY SPEAK OUT, IT WEAKENS THE GOVERNMENTS CONTROL OF THE NARRATIVE AND INSPIRES EMPATHY AND SUPPORT FOR THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY. 2019 WAS THE SECOND YEAR OF THE LINK ADVOCACY FELLOWSHIP. THE GOAL: EMPOWER YOUNG NORTH KOREANS TO SHARE THEIR STORIES WITH THE WORLD. IN 3 MONTHS OF THE FELLOWSHIP, 4 NORTH KOREAN ADVOCACY FELLOWS SHARED THEIR STORIES IN ENGLISH WITH OVER 2,780 PEOPLE AT 21 EVENTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED AND RESPONDED TO A SURVEY, 96% WERE INSPIRED TO SHARE MORE ABOUT THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE, 90% WERE EMPOWERED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MOVEMENT, AND 65% FELT MORE HOPEFUL FOR THE FUTURE OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA. THEY MET WITH DOZENS OF INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE FROM DIPLOMATS IN D.C. TO MOVIE STARS IN L.A. AND ULTIMATELY BECAME POWERFUL STORYTELLERS WHO ARE CHANGING THE NARRATIVE!2)CREATING MEDIA & DOCUMENTARIES: NORTH KOREA IS NOT ONLY A COMPLICATED ISSUE TO UNDERSTAND, BUT THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN FEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE. WE CREATE DOCUMENTARIES, SHORT VIDEOS, PRESENTATIONS, ONLINE CONTENT, CAMPAIGNS, AND OTHER CREATIVE COMMUNICATION MATERIALS TO EDUCATE THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY ON THE CHALLENGES FACING THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE AND THEIR POTENTIAL TO DRIVE CHANGE. THE GOALS OF THE MEDIA WE CREATE ARE TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE ON NORTH KOREA AND TO ENGAGE PEOPLE WITH TANGIBLE OPPORTUNITIES TO STAND WITH THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE AND HELP BRING FORWARD CHANGE. IN 2019, WE REACHED OVER 5.8 MILLION PEOPLE ONLINE WITH STORIES OF THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE.3)WORKING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA & POLICYMAKERS: WE WORK TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE FROM THE TOP DOWN BY ENGAGING DIRECTLY WITH INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISTS AND POLICYMAKERS. BECAUSE OF OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THIS ISSUE, DEVELOPED THROUGH WORKING WITH NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES, WE ARE INCREASINGLY SOUGHT OUT AS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE, RESULTING IN REGULAR MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND PARTICIPATION IN KEY MEETINGS AND EVENTS WITH POLICYMAKERS IN D.C., SEOUL, AND AT THE UN. IN 2019, THE ORGANIZATION HAD 95 CITATIONS, FEATURES AND QUOTES IN MEDIA OUTLETS SUCH AS REFINERY29, TIME MAGAZINE, BBC NEWS, AND COMEDY CENTRAL. 4)DIRECT GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT: THROUGH EVENTS AND GLOBAL ONLINE CAMPAIGNS, WE SHARE THE STORIES OF THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE AND A BROADER PERSPECTIVE ON THE ISSUE. MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED OF LIBERTY IN NORTH KOREAS RESCUE TEAMS LOCATED IN 16 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD FUNDRAISE TO RESCUE NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES AND BUILD SUPPORT FOR THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

RESEARCH & STRATEGY: The Organization engages in research and strategy that has a direct impact on its ability to achieve its mission. Through interviews with North Korean refugees and ongoing research, the Organization works to develop long-term, people-focused strategies that will accelerate positive change inside the country. By collaborating with a variety of constituents, the Organization continues to develop a holistic understanding of the issue in order to create and implement the best approaches. The Organization also utilizes this research to provide updated information and important insights to the public and also in briefing relevant governments and institutions.

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