Save North Korean Refugees Day 2010

 
We wish to express our deepest thanks for all who made our 2nd Annual Save North Korean Refugees Day a tremendous success.
 
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Congressional Hearing Entitled “Escaping North Korea – The Plight of Defectors."  Thank you to Congressmen James P. McGovern and Frank Wolf, Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and for Congressmen Ed Royce for chairing the hearing and providing a powerful opening presentation and to Congressmen Chris Smith and Joseph R. Pitts. for their eloquent testimonies on these issues.  We deeply appreciate the Congressional staff who arranged the hearing, Hans Hogrefe and Elizabeth Hoffman, and those that ensured its impact Young Kim and Galinda Russell.
 
Hearing Witnesses: Thank you to Carl Gershman, President of the National Endowment for Democracy, for his testimony about the importance of empowering the North Korea defectors; and those who testified as eyewitnesses about the trafficking of North Korean women and the plight of refugees in China: Mrs. Sujin Kang, Director, Coalition for North Korean Women’s Rights and Mrs. Mi Sun Bahng , Ms. Jinhye Jo and Steve Kim of 318 Partners.  Thank you to James Victory for providing simultaneous translation for the defector witnesses which enabled them have more time to testify and to Alpha Relief and Lisa Colacurcio for making it possible for Mrs. Kang and Mrs. Bahng to be able to travel from Korea for these events.
 
Department of State: Thank you to Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues, Ambassador Robert King and Ambassador-at-Large Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca; and Ms. Jamie Oberlander for the meeting with the Congressional witnesses and the excellent questions on how to help rescue these women from exploitation and to prevent this on-going tragedy.
 
Press Conference and Protest at the Chinese Embassy: Thank you to the speakers who included our four Congressional witnesses and to the volunteers for the reading of THE LIST of the names of repatriated North Korean refugees: Peter Kang, Linda Dye, Helen Lee, Hyun Song, Ana Jang and Steve Kim.  Thank you to Ana Jang for her assistance in updating THE LIST and to Sue Kim in preparing the Report on the current situation.  Thank you to the interns of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea for being a part of the event and providing bottled water!

 

Benefit Concert to help the Rescuers of North Korean Refugees: Thank you to Rev. Kwang Ho Yang and Fairfax Korean Church for hosting the benefit concert.  Thank you to Henry Song for coordinating the entire event.  Associate Pastor Kyue Cheon Cho for help with the Audio/Video system and the congregation members of Fairfax Korean Church.  Thank you to the many volunteers who helped before and during the event from everything from ushering, van service, and even babysitting: Ana Jang, Jean Kim, Roxann Moss, Nancy Purcell, April Jang, Eric Kim, and Jennifer Yang.  Thank you for the Special Messages by Pastor Heemoon Lee and Mr. Steve Kim.
 
We especially express our deep thanks for the awesome performers who gave of their time and talent:
 
Our opening act
Mrs. Ma Young Ae performing ‘Arirang’
 
Our classical musicians:
Ms. Hyunah Yu, Soprano;
Professor Hyunsook Park, Piano;
Ms. Soo Bae, Cello;
Dr. Jason Suh, Guitar;
 
Our Alternative Rock Performers:
Erin Weston and ‘Left On Vermont’: Eugene, Adriana, Ryan, Yuneng
 
Links to News Coverage:
 
ENGLISH:
-Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing “Escaping North Korea – The Plight of Defectors"
-Washington Times article: Repatriation policy links China to rights violations
-CBN TV report and interview with Steve Kim of 318 Partners
-The Epoch Times: North Korean Defectors Give Grim Testimony of Experiences with China: Starving refugees, forced back to N. Korea, where they are tortured, imprisoned, increasingly executed

KOREAN:
-YTN TV News Video
-YTN TV Accompanying article
-RFA (Radio Free Asia)
-VOA (Voice of America)
-Korea Times USA
 -Yonhap News-Yonhap News Photo
-NewDaily

Press Conference and Protest at the Chinese Embassy:
 
-YTN TV News Video (Long version)
Accompanying article
http://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0104_201009251018523911
 
-YTN TV News Video (Short version)
Accompanying article
http://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0104_201009250650342631
 
-DC Christianity Daily

The free evening benefit concert at Fairfax Korean Church, Virginia, USA:
 
-DC Christianity Daily
-Radio Free Asia