During North Korea Freedom Week, Open Radio for North Korea held its International Street Talk Concert at Hongik University area on May 3rd, with the guests Suzanne Scholte, American activist for North Korean human rights, Hyeonseo Lee, a defector, and other North Korea commentators.

 

Suzanne Scholte, who has been working for North Korean human rights for 17 years, said that the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry on North Korea’s crimes against humanity is a significant advancement for the North Korean human rights movement. She highlighted how many South Korean people participated in the 10th North Korea Freedom Week, and emphasized the need for young people to participate and volunteer in the North Korean human rights field. She also noted that there are various opportunities to help through NGOs.

 

Hyeonseo Lee, a defector who gave a speech at a TED Conference this year, delivered the story behind her TED appearance. After her speech at TED, she said that she received many supportive messages from people across the world, including places such as Pakistan and Egypt. Chinese people in particular sent her encouraging messages, writing that they didn’t know about the reality of North Korea and that they will work to change Chinese public opinion on defectors, so that the Chinese government can finally stop repatriating North Korean defectors to North Korea. These various messages have given her the energy to keep up her work.

 

A volunteer of Open Radio for North Korea, Matt McGrath, and U.S delegates of North Korea Freedom Week, Roxann Moss and Nancy Purcell, also appeared as guests and explained their motivations for getting involved in North Korean issues. They also argued that people’s interest and participation in human rights activities are important. During the talk concert, all of the guests emphasized that raising public awareness on North Korean human rights is essential and suggested volunteering with NGOs in the field to help improve the human rights situation in North Korea.