Liberty in North Korea

(5/5) “I love North Korea enough to want to change it, for current and future generations. For the children in North Korea now, who think the world starts and ends with the Kim regime. For the children like me, who have grown up and realized that there’s so much more to life, and we are the heroes of our own stories. I share my story today, asking for the support of people like you. Your attention and support are more powerful than any political regime. Share our stories with more people. Support organizations that are rescuing North Korean refugees and finding ways to send information back inside the country. Help us create a future where children born in North Korea can see and experience the world for themselves. Free from politics and propaganda, free to discover, and free to dream. There is no greater source of hope than the North Korean people themselves.” - Bella, escaped from North Korea in 2011 Help make more stories like Bella’s possible. Give today: https://lnkd.in/gP2xd8Xp

Harry was just 13 when he had to leave his beloved hometown. Looking back, he doesn’t recall a dictator or nuclear missiles, but the faces of his childhood friends and the mountains they loved to explore. Photos and images from North Korea are often difficult to come by. What we do have are stories, shared by the daring North Korean refugees who have escaped. We partnered with illustrator Hennie Monclair bring Harry’s childhood memories to life as a comic book! ?? Get your FREE copy: https://lnkd.in/gsNRS9xX

(4/5) “While other children had grown up dreaming of becoming presidents, celebrities, or scientists, I had dreamt of becoming a butterfly, so I could fly close to General Kim Jong-il. Childhood is when we learn how to see the world, but my view had been distorted by the regime. At the same time, though, denying North Korea felt like denying myself and my family. I still loved where I came from, even if it hurt me. Reconciling the hurt with the hope helped me realize how to move forward. Today, I’m pursuing a double major in Political Science & Diplomacy and North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University. My dream is to attend law school and help North Korean refugees who are facing legal challenges.” - Bella, escaped from North Korea in 2011 Read Bella's full story: https://lnkd.in/gnH-kBdU

(3/5) “We lived in China for six months before arriving in South Korea. During that time, I relearned and realized a lot of new things–like what it felt like to be full. Just being able to eat to my heart’s content brought me so much happiness. Being able to sing songs and watch cartoons and movies that weren’t about the Kim regime was fun and eye-opening. Friendship and romance, heartbreak and hope–through the lenses of other people’s lives, I saw a world that wasn’t defined by loyalty to a regime. This was a world that was free. This was the world the North Korean government hadn’t wanted me to see, because I would have realized my life there was not normal.” - Bella, escaped from North Korea in 2011 Read Bella’s full story on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gnH-kBdU

(2/5) “When my mother suggested I join her in China, where she had escaped three years prior, I called her a traitor. 'You betrayed the General. You should come back to North Korea right now' – these harsh words came from the mouth of a 7-year-old, who had only ever known propaganda and control. Eventually, my mother arranged for a broker to help me cross the border. My heart soared at the thought of seeing her again, but at the same time, it sank with a heavy weight. I felt guilty for betraying our dear leader. I was frightened by the thought of leaving behind the only life I had ever known. I was also leaving behind my father. At 9 years old, I couldn’t have imagined that those moments together would be our last. He held me tight and told me I would be with my mom soon. I carry the memory with me now, just as I carried it with me when I crossed the frozen river at the border. In the dead of winter, my new life began in an unfamiliar country.” - Bella, escaped from North Korea in 2011

LiNK’s scholarship applications are now open! ?? North Korean students studying in the United States for the 2025-2026 academic year are invited to learn more & apply. Our goal is to see more resettled North Koreans complete their education programs, achieve their academic and career goals, and be empowered as leaders in their communities and on this issue ?? ?? Note that there are updates to the program this year. Please review all information on the website before submitting your application. ?? ??? ?? ??? 2025-2026 ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????, ? ??? ?? ??? ? ? ????. ??? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???. ?? https://lnkd.in/gNWXcD-a

(1/5) “I was 10 years old when I escaped from North Korea. Sometimes, when people hear this, they assume I don’t feel close to my North Korean identity because I left at such a young age. But I can clearly remember my childhood, my most impressionable years, shaped by the hands of the regime. Through songs and schooling, every aspect of my life was warped by indoctrination. In kindergarten, we learned heroic tales about Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. National holidays were celebrated with special snacks distributed by the government. I was filled with reverence and gratitude toward the Kim family. To me, they were like gods, and North Korea was my entire universe. The thought of leaving was unimaginable.” - Bella, escaped from North Korea in 2011

He was a visiting student from Vietnam. She was a North Korean laboratory worker, forbidden to date foreigners. But love didn't care about any of that. Read how secret house visits, love letters, and 7 tons of rice led to them finally being together 31 years after meeting. https://lnkd.in/gjG_jwP3 It's stories like this that remind us of the quote from 'Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea' by Barbara Demick: "This is not the sort of thing that shows up in satellite photographs. Whether in CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, or in the East Asian studies department of a university, people usually analyze North Korea from afar. They don't stop to think that in the middle of this black hole, in this bleak, dark country where millions have died of starvation, there is also love." Happy Valentine's Day ??

??LiNK is looking for volunteers who can help resettled North Koreans improve their English speaking abilities.?? <Qualifications> ?? You are able to teach conversational English online twice a week, 1 hour per session ?? You will be in & remain in South Korea for the duration of the program (March to early June) ?? You are over 18 years old ?? You are a native or fluent English speaker ?? Korean language ability is preferred, but not required. ??ESL teaching experience is preferred, but not required. ?? Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/gHCVx6Vv

Last fall, LiNK had the opportunity to be part of YouTubers Oskar & Dan's time in South Korea! ???? They visited our Seoul office to meet with Sokeel, LiNK’s South Korea country director, and Ilhwa, LiNK’s Partnership Manager and a North Korean refugee. Ilhwa shared the harrowing story of her escape and how she helped the rest of her family join her in freedom ??? As two world travelers, Oskar & Dan are on a journey to experience and understand different countries and people. After meeting with North Korean refugees, they want to help change more lives and challenge global perceptions of North Korea and its people. ?? Check out the video where they visit the DMZ and LiNK’s office: https://lnkd.in/gpsW-YCB