Trusting the Supporters, They Leave, Escaping the Eyes of the Chinese Security Forces
It is already mid-January, 2024.
As time quickly passes, North Korean defectors hiding in China are still living in fear of forced repatriation.
Without identification or protection, they must survive in a world where their existence is denied.
We fear that they cannot endure much longer.
Last December, we received a request to help five North Korean defectors escape.
After thorough consideration and preparation, we began the rescue operation.
Because of the high costs and the danger of being captured by Chinese authorities,
it is extremely difficult for us to attempt such rescues without your support.
The five North Korean defectors we are helping this time include three women and two children.
Although they are exhausted and frightened, their only wish is to live freely and safely.
Among them are a mother and her young child, a woman in her twenties, and another woman in her thirties.
They are currently on the move, relying solely on courage and faith.
They cannot stay in one place for long.
They must travel secretly, evading Chinese surveillance and the threat of capture.
Each step they take is a step closer to freedom—and a step further from fear.
Please remember them in your prayers.
The Stories of Two Families and One Woman
1) Jung ○○ (20s, female defector, daughter born in 2020)
“I am from Hwanghae Province, North Korea. Life was too harsh, and I escaped to China in the summer of 2018.
I have lived here ever since, but as an undocumented person.
I became pregnant after escaping and now live with my daughter.
My husband left one day and never returned, so I’ve been raising my child alone.
Without an ID, I cannot find work and life is unbearably difficult.
Please help me. I want to live freely, without fear, and raise my daughter safely.”
2) Koo ○○ (30s, female defector, daughter born in 2018)
“I fled from North Hamgyong Province due to extreme hunger.
In China, my husband passed away from illness, leaving me alone with my daughter.
I have lived in hiding for 15 years now, constantly afraid of being discovered by the police.
Because I’m undocumented, I cannot send my daughter to school,
and every day we live in fear.
Please help me so that my daughter can grow up in safety and dignity.”
3) Kim ○○ (30s, female defector)
“I wandered through several countries after escaping North Korea.
I was trafficked to China and forced into labor,
then suffered domestic violence at the hands of a Chinese man I was sold to.
Later, I was caught and sent to a labor camp, where I endured severe abuse.
After my release, I continued to hide, doing fieldwork and small jobs to survive.
I long for freedom. I want to live as a human being,
to work honestly, to be treated with dignity, and to help others in need.
Please help me reach South Korea safely.
I will live faithfully and gratefully if given the chance.”
Their Dream Is Not Grand
Their dream is simple.
They want to live without fear—
to eat when they are hungry, to sleep peacefully at night,
to live with dignity and raise their children without persecution.
Please help these defectors so they can live human lives again.
Give them a chance to breathe freely and hope again.
We sincerely ask for your support and prayers so that these people may one day find freedom and peace.
Sent with heartfelt wishes on January 16, 2024
Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR)
North Korean Refugee Rescue Project Team
Director: Lee Mi-sook
Deputy Director: Nam Young-seok
Consultants: Lee Sung-joo, Kim Eun-joo, Oh Se-hyuk
Donation Accounts
Woori Bank: 142-097090-01-201 (Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights)
Kookmin Bank: 533301-01-050592 (Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights)