NKHR conducts these programs in universities, high schools, military units, companies, religious organizations, and other institutions, featuring powerful testimonies from North Korean refugees and hosting discussions on North Korean human rights. The content of each program is tailored to the specific audience.
In addition, NKHR offers awareness-raising programs for visiting foreign university students, government officials, and diplomats, with sessions available in both Korean and English.
- TongTong Concert: Voices of North Korean Human Rights
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As part of our awareness-raising programs, we host talk concerts in a free talk-show format, essay contests, and art competitions. These initiatives are designed to make the issue of North Korean human rights more accessible to middle and high school students, soldiers, and the general public.
At Osan Air Base (USAF), NKHR organized a TongTong Concert in June 2024, featuring North Korean defectors and engaging U.S. military personnel.
In December 2023, NKHR hosted a TongTong Concert at Danwon Middle School in Ansan.
- 2023 Human Rights Promotion Activities: North Korean Human Rights Escape Room Program ‘Denbaram Maparam’
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Denbaram Maparam” is an experiential program designed for youth and young adults, using a six-container mobile escape room to explore North Korean human rights issues. Through interactive game-based challenges, participants follow the journey of North Korean residents—from everyday life under repression, to the harrowing escape across the Tumen River, through China, Laos, and Thailand, and finally reaching freedom and resettlement in South Korea.
The storyline centers on an ordinary family in North Korea who, after the father’s critical remark against the regime, are banished to Musan in North Hamgyong Province and face the threat of being sent to a political prison camp. In desperation, the family decides to flee the country, undertaking a perilous journey before ultimately arriving in the Republic of Korea.James Heenan, Head of the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul, highlighted the program’s innovative impact in an interview with the Ministry of Unification: ‘Creative advocacy is essential to raising awareness of North Korean human rights issues. Using escape room activities to portray the human rights situation in North Korea is a particularly innovative form of advocacy.
James Heenan, Head of the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul
At Cheonggye Plaza, Seoul (November 2023)
Inside the Escape Room
- 2024 Human Rights Promotion Activities: ‘Blow, Maparam’ Project – North Korean Human Rights Live Painting Performance
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For many young people, North Korean human rights remains a distant and unappealing subject, highlighting the need for new and sustainable approaches to education in this area. Given the lack of accessible content tailored for youth, NKHR has developed creative materials such as webtoons and illustrations, along with innovative programs including live rap performances and live painting sessions. These initiatives are designed to present accurate information on North Korean human rights in ways that resonate with youth, spark sustained interest, and foster greater understanding of North Korean escapees, ultimately contributing to social integration
A live rap performance held at DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza)
Live painting session with active audience participationg