By Brian Yoffe
South’s Liberty in North Korea club hosted a raffle to raise money for Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), an international organization, which helps North Korean refugees.
The raffle took place on April 16 and 17 during J block in the field house, where students could purchase tickets for $2 apiece. Prizes included Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards, Starbucks packages, and candy.
LiNK is an organization that was formed nearly 10 years ago by several students who wanted to raise awareness about the suffering in North Korea. Today, LiNK works within the U.S, South Korea, and areas of Southeast Asia to help North Korean refugees start a new life.
The club at South is known as a Rescue Team and is one of many around the country that provides funding for LiNK.
Although the Rescue Teams work on a smaller scale, they still attempt to accomplish the goals of the organization as a whole.
“The two main goals of Liberty and North Korea…are to achieve liberty for North Koreans in our lifetime and shift the public’s perception of North Korea away from the ridiculousness of the regime and onto the crisis of the people,” said Yumi Lee, LiNK club’s founder and president. “I’m trying to really raise awareness…and help people in Newton South become more passionate.”
The club’s raffle is coming a week after several members of the LiNK organization headquartered in California presented to students on April 8.
Michelle Lopez, a member from Rochester, New York, began the presentation by the describing the conditions of most people who live in North Korea.
“Twenty four million people [are] facing some of the cruelest rule in history,” Lopez said.
She went on to explain how there are thousands of North Koreans imprisoned in labor camps, where they are starved, forced to do excruciating labor, and tortured.
The presentation went on to explain six reasons why “change in North Korea is not impossible, [but] it’s inevitable.”
A video shown stated that an economic revolution is already taking place in the form of an underground market. More than 10 million dollars sent from refugees back to their families in North Korea helps support this underground economy.
The video also explained how the North Korean government’s inability to stop of the flow of information into the country is creating instability, as people get access to radio and even some Hollywood films.
The North Korean millennials are also helping the push for reform as they question the authority of Kim Jong-un’s regime.
Presenters encouraged the audience to help Korean refugees in their movement for basic human rights. Students can do so by applying for an internship at LiNK or joining South’s rescue team.
“The impact that we have made is because of people who have given their time to help North Korea,” Lopez said.
LiNK’s global organization has more than 1,000 people fundraising for its cause, and has saved 221 refugees working in a modern underground railroad across 3,000 miles of southeast asia.
Sophomore Jay Maxwell was surprised during the presentation to learn how many people actually escape North Korea. However, he was not completely convinced that LiNK will be able to achieve liberty in North Korea.
“I learned that more people were escaping than I thought,” Maxwell said. “The idea is a great one but…it’s going to take more than just kids and this group.”
Lee felt the presentation was very well done and the presenters came well-prepared.
“It was definitely a great experience because the presenters were so prepared and I really appreciated them coming,” Lee said.
