THE KOREA SOCIETY

Kim Seonghui fled North Korea in 2008 to give her daughter a life free from the violence and indignity she faced as a woman. In North Korea, Kim worked as a nurse, witnessing harrowing conditions caused by the absence of medicine, equipment, electricity, and basic supplies. Now in South Korea, she runs Hanadoga (“House of Unity”), a North Korean-style distillery brewing alcohol — as her mother once did — and leads volunteer efforts to support vulnerable people in her community.

Na Min-Hee is originally from Pyongyang. She was working in Malta as a state-dispatched overseas laborer when she first encountered the world outside of North Korea—and was struck by the freedom and dignity with which women lived abroad. Despite strict surveillance, she fled to Germany in 2015 and, eventually found refuge in South Korea. Now living in South Korea, Na is happily married and committed to reclaiming her voice and agency as a woman. She shares her story and perspectives openly through her YouTube channel with 162K subscribers, determined to speak not from fear or silence, but with strength and autonomy.

Kwon EunKyoung is the Director of the Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights (NK Net) and Secretary General of the International Coalition to Stop Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea (ICNK). She focuses on creating effective strategies to improve the quality of life for North Korean people and to raise their awareness of the values shared by the global community. She works to broaden channels that connect the world with the hearts and lives of the North Korean people.