NKFC and History

What is the North Korea Freedom Coalition?

The North Korea Freedom Coalition is a nonpartisan coalition founded in June, 2003 to work for the freedom, human rights, and dignity of the North Korea people.  The Coalition currently has over 60 public member organizations representing millions of American, South and North Korean, and Japanese citizens as well as other nations; and many individual members from around the world. The Coalition also has private members that provide humanitarian relief inside North Korea and members in China and other nations that feed, shelter, and rescue North Korean refugees.

Members are from all political parties and religious faiths and have many different views about North Korea, but share one thing in common: all believe that promoting human rights for North Korea must be the central focus of any and all policy towards North Korea.

The Coalition works closely with elected officials, other non-governmental organizations, and governments to achieve its goals.

The Coalition is most proud of the fact that all the major NGOs in the USA, Japan, and South Korea, and especially the North Korean defectors' organizations, are either members of the Coalition or work as partners with the Coalition on its many activities.

Significant Achievements

The North Korea Freedom Coalition is credited with being the driving force behind the passage of the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004 and has worked to ensure that it is fully implemented.   It has also sponsored protests at the Chinese Embassies around the world for the North Korean refugees, organized hearings and press conferences, documentary screenings, and embassy meetings, to achieve its goals. The North Korea Freedom Coalition was responsible for establishing North Korea Freedom Day on April 28, 2004 to raise public awareness of the issues. We held the first North Korean Freedom Week in Washington in 2005, and it was held annually in D.C. since then. However, in 2010, it is being held in Seoul, South Korea for the first time, with many North Korean defectors who had participated in past events in D.C., hosting events during NKFW 2010 in Korea.

“The pivotal efforts of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, a group of more than 40 nonpartisan NGOs, deserves particular attention.”   Congressman Jim Leach, author and sponsor of the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004, on the day of its passage: The Congressional Record.

I want to commend the efforts as well of the North Korea Freedom Coalition which sponsored, as many Members know, the historic North Korea Freedom Day rally in Washington on April 28.”  Congressman Chris Smith: sponsor of the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004, on the day of its passage: The Congressional Record.

Goals

	Make Human Rights the key policy of all governments in dealing with North Korea
	Save Lives by helping rescue refugees and pressuring China to end its brutal repatriation policy
	Close down political prison camps in North Korea
	Pressure the DPRK to Release all abductees including Korean War Pows
	Promote information into North Korea through all means
	Get food aid directly to the North Korean people and end all food aid distribution controlled by the regime Bring freedom, human rights and dignity to the North Korean people