NK Freedom Coalition

General Admission

*Note: Our parallel event takes place on the 10th floor of the Church Center of the United Nations* Envisioning North Korea&rsquo;s Future: Women Leading the Way convenes a powerful panel of North Korean women authors whose lived experiences and creative voices illuminate pathways toward change. Through personal narratives, literary works, and reflections on resilience, these women offer rare insight into daily life under the regime and the vital role women play in imagining a freer, more just future. Their stories challenge stereotypes, highlight the urgency of supporting women&rsquo;s rights in North Korea, and demonstrate the transformative power of storytelling. This session invites participants to engage with their visions for progress, dignity, and human rights on the Korean Peninsula. Moderator:&nbsp;Suzanne Scholte, Chairman, <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.nkfreedom.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">North Korea Freedom Coalition</a> (NKFC), is one of the leading advocates for human rights in North Korea, for which she has received numerous awards, including the 2008 Seoul Peace Prize. Ms. Scholte established and continues to organize the annual North Korea Freedom Week and the Save North Korean Refugees Day. Panelists: Jung Ah is a North Korean defector, writer, and researcher who documents the lives of North Korean women through research, writing, and public lectures. She left North Korea in 2000 and entered South Korea in October 2010. Drawing from her experiences of displacement and resettlement, her work focuses on the identity of North Korean defector women, the lived realities of women in North Korea, and related human rights issues. Her recent work, The Journey to South Korea, reflects her commitment to conveying the vivid, personal experiences of North Korean women to the international community, beyond statistics and abstract figures. Kim Ji Young is a North Korean defector who was born to parents who were Workers&rsquo; Party members; their elite status allowed them to move to Pyongyang where Ms. Kimattended the prestigious Kim Il-Sung University. Immediately after graduating, she started her own cold noodle and beer restaurant, which became so successful that she opened another branch. After running her private business for 7 years, Ms. Kim and her family defected in 2012. In Seoul, she is a reporter at Free North Korea Radio, a broadcasting station established by the late Kim Sung Min, which transmits global news and words of hope to the people of North Korea. Oh Hye Seon is a North Korean defector and author of The Pyongyang Woman from London. A graduate of Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies, Ms. Oh served as an official with the North Korean Ministry of Trade. After residing in the UK for her diplomatic work, she defected to South Korea in 2016, where she obtained a master&#39;s degree from Ewha Womans University. Through her book, she testifies to the human rights of North Korean women and the power of motherhood. She is currently an activist advocating for liberty and human dignity.

Dear <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; color: rgb(42, 42, 196); padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, We&#39;re truly grateful for your registration for Envisioning North Korea&#39;s Future: Women Leading the Way. Your commitment means the world to us and strengthens our collective effort to support and uplift North Korean voices. Thanks to supporters like you, we can continue to challenge stereotypes and emphasize the importance of women&#39;s rights in North Korea. We&#39;re excited about the insights and hope this event will inspire. If you have any questions before then, please feel free to reach out to us at any time. Thank you for standing with us. Warm regards, The NK Freedom Coalition Team

*Note: Our parallel event takes place on the 10th floor of the Church Center of the United Nations* Envisioning North Korea’s Future: Women Leading the Way convenes a powerful panel of North Korean women authors whose lived experiences and creative voices illuminate pathways toward change. Through personal narratives, literary works, and reflections on resilience, these women offer rare insight into daily life under the regime and the vital role women play in imagining a freer, more just future. Their stories challenge stereotypes, highlight the urgency of supporting women’s rights in North Korea, and demonstrate the transformative power of storytelling. This session invites participants to engage with their visions for progress, dignity, and human rights on the Korean Peninsula. Moderator: Suzanne Scholte, Chairman, <a href="https://www.nkfreedom.org" target="_blank">North Korea Freedom Coalition</a> (NKFC), is one of the leading advocates for human rights in North Korea, for which she has received numerous awards, including the 2008 Seoul Peace Prize. Ms. Scholte established and continues to organize the annual North Korea Freedom Week and the Save North Korean Refugees Day. Panelists: Jung Ah is a North Korean defector, writer, and researcher who documents the lives of North Korean women through research, writing, and public lectures. She left North Korea in 2000 and entered South Korea in October 2010. Drawing from her experiences of displacement and resettlement, her work focuses on the identity of North Korean defector women, the lived realities of women in North Korea, and related human rights issues. Her recent work, The Journey to South Korea, reflects her commitment to conveying the vivid, personal experiences of North Korean women to the international community, beyond statistics and abstract figures. Kim Ji Young is a North Korean defector who was born to parents who were Workers’ Party members; their elite status allowed them to move to Pyongyang where Ms. Kimattended the prestigious Kim Il-Sung University. Immediately after graduating, she started her own cold noodle and beer restaurant, which became so successful that she opened another branch. After running her private business for 7 years, Ms. Kim and her family defected in 2012. In Seoul, she is a reporter at Free North Korea Radio, a broadcasting station established by the late Kim Sung Min, which transmits global news and words of hope to the people of North Korea. Oh Hye Seon is a North Korean defector and author of The Pyongyang Woman from London. A graduate of Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies, Ms. Oh served as an official with the North Korean Ministry of Trade. After residing in the UK for her diplomatic work, she defected to South Korea in 2016, where she obtained a master's degree from Ewha Womans University. Through her book, she testifies to the human rights of North Korean women and the power of motherhood. She is currently an activist advocating for liberty and human dignity.

NK Freedom Coalition

Envisioning North Korea's Future: Women Leading the Way

777 United Nations Plaza

General Admission

Free

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