North Korea is a country ruled by fear; North Koreans face thousands of daily oppressions. Starvation is by no means rare, and people witness public executions regularly. If a North Korean is caught trying to escape, they will either be shot on the spot by border guards or sent to a concentration camp. Regardless, more and more North Koreans are defecting each year. Their troubles won't end with defecting, however; the border between North and South Korea is the world's most secure border, making it impossible to cross. Instead, defectors cross the Tumen River into China, where they face a whole new range of threats. It is here, though, that we have the most power to help them.
North Koreans who escape into China face a multitude of dangers; if they're caught, they will be forcibly repatriated to North Korea, where they will face life in a concentration camp. This means that they cannot go to the Chinese authorities for any sort of help, making North Koreans massive targets for exploitation. The women are especially vulnerable; "The People's Crisis" estimates that 70 to 90 percent of women refugees are trafficked into the sex trade.
Many of these women are sold into so-called marriages, but they're not wives -- they're slaves. Their new owners have complete power over them -- one word and the women will be repatriated. These women are sexually, physically and emotionally abused with no end in sight. Some women are sold into multiple marriages.
This is where Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), a nonprofit organization that helps North Korean refugees, comes in. LiNK has what they call a "modern underground railroad" of contacts who help their staff and the refugees on a 3000-mile journey to South Korea. They don't charge the refugees a single penny, and they don't simply abandon them once they are safely in South Korea, either. According to their website, they also give them the choice to participate in "study abroad, language training, personal development, education and career development, financial assistance and cultural activities."
This means that they help them learn English, which is integral to getting a job in South Korea and is important for the refugees who wish to settle in America or the UK, help them get an education related to their career goals, and help them find a career as well as somewhere to live. LiNK also helps North Koreans get through the culture shock they experience; as Justin Wheeler, the Vice President of LiNK, pointed out in an interview, North Koreans have never heard of modern technology like the Internet until they reach South Korea. So far, LiNK has rescued 465 people, at a cost of about $3,000 per person (including the care afterward -- the breakdown of costs is readily available here).
Right about now, you might be thinking, "Great, but is this really helping on a large scale?" The answer is a definite "yes." Once saved and resettled, refugees often keep in contact with their families and send money back. Not only does this help those inside North Korea with their physical, everyday needs, it gives them a glimpse of life outside their country. Additionally, activists and refugees alike often smuggle foreign media into North Korea and broadcast radio programs over the border discussing the realities of the North Korean regime and the truth about the outside world. All of these factors are serving as catalysts for a slow but definite change in the country from the inside out.
We're just average people, though, so how can we help? Praying and spreading awareness is key; we need to make sure that the people around us know that North Korea is not defined by its "hilariously" crazy leader. Kim Jong Un and his regime commit daily monstrosities against their own people -- that isn't funny, and it never will be. We need to think about North Korea on a basis of human compassion and understanding.
We can donate to LiNK and similar organizations that are dedicated to helping the North Korean people. Doing so will not only help spread awareness through the events that they hold, but it will tangibly help people. It will change someone's life -- save it, even. You can donate here, through a pure donation or buying something at their shop.
For those of us who feel incredibly passionate about the struggle of the North Korean people, there are options to be an intern at LiNK in fields like social networking, graphic design, CTV and public speaking. There are other internship positions available, such as resettlement or rescue team interns. You can even gain internship credits at your college while interning at LiNK, and they have a permanent staff.
There are plenty of things that we, as average people who can't bust into North Korea and miraculously free everyone (although that would be great), can do to help the North Korean people. We aren't powerless. North Korea is slowly changing from the inside out, and refugees are an important part of it continuing to do so. Perhaps we will live to see the North and South reunified as our prayers, efforts, nonprofits and refugees work together to bring this change to a fever pitch.
For a more in-depth look at how smuggled foreign media is helping to change North Korea, I highly recommend the documentary "Secret State of North Korea" by Frontline.
To get an up-close look at the difference that LiNK is making, watch "The People's Crisis."
