Quotes from Delegation’s Testimonies from the Congressional Hearing
About the Current South Korean Government’s Oppression Against the North Korean Human Rights Movement
Gwang-Min Bae: “After the launch of the Lee government, the situation changed sharply once again. In June 2025, the Ministry of Unification strongly requested an end to anti-North Korea leaflet launches, effectively reversing its previous position, and on June 10 and June 14, President Lee instructed the relevant ministries to prepare preventive measures and post-incident punishment measures. This shows that, after the Constitutional Court’s ruling made a direct legal ban of the previous kind more difficult, the government shifted toward recreating the same effect indirectly through administrative orders and follow-up legislation.”
Gwang-Min Bae: “Administrative measures, such as the designation of danger zones and restrictions on access, were greatly strengthened, and in Ganghwa an additional approximately 100 police officers were deployed to conduct constant patrols and vehicle inspections. According to testimony from individuals familiar with the field, there were even reports of internal encouragement within the police that officers who caught those engaged in sending materials to North Korea could be eligible for a one-rank special promotion. These measures go beyond simple management. In practice, they function as a powerful deterrence system that suppresses the activity itself.”
Kang-Il Hu: “I am deeply concerned that, since the launch of the current government, the movement to strengthen regulation and punishment of anti-North Korea leaflets and North Korea-bound information activities has intensified once again… An attempt to change that term to ‘bukhyangmin’ or something similar, without legal procedures or social consensus, risks blurring the identity and legal status of North Korean defectors and causing confusion and division within the defector community itself. More than that, it is a very serious issue because it may also have a negative impact on the logic under which defectors residing in third countries are admitted to and protected by the Republic of Korea.”
Kang-Il Hu: “The Republic of Korea now stands at an important crossroads. This is the moment to decide whether it will stand firmly on the principles of liberal democracy, or whether it will weaken the value of freedom with its own hands through compromise and appeasement toward the North Korean dictatorship.”
Ji-Young Kim: “I view the recent suspension of North Korea-directed radio broadcasting by the South Korean government as a very serious matter. I consider this decision extremely dangerous. It is not merely a policy adjustment; It is the deliberate closing of one of the very few channels through which the people of North Korea can access the truth.”
Sang-Hak Park: “I have fought against the Kim family dictatorship for the freedom and liberation of the North Korean people. Yet, in that process, I have repeatedly experienced restrictions and criminal punishment not only from the North Korean regime but also within South Korea. The fact that efforts to deliver truth in resistance to North Korea’s dictatorship can also be restricted in a free and democratic society reveals a structural contradiction of the current North Korea policy. The issue of North Korean human rights and the flow of information must not be treated as matters of political convenience. They must be addressed as matters of principle—of freedom and human rights.”
About the Importance of Outside Information
Gwang-Min Bae: “The people of North Korea cannot speak freely, cannot listen freely, and cannot know freely. To deliver outside information and messages of hope to such people is not merely a political act; It is an effort to restore human dignity and freedom.”
Gwang-Min Bae: “I came to feel the meaning of this work (Operation Truth) even more deeply when I heard the story of Mr. I-Hyeok Kim, one of nine family members from South Hwanghae Province who defected across the Yellow Sea in May 2023. The rice bottles sent by sea from Ganghwa Island drift to the coast of South Hwanghae Province, and Mr. Kim and his wife said that they had encountered such rice bottles from childhood into adulthood…But to them, the rice bottles felt like proof that someone had not forgotten them, a symbol of hope like a gift sent from Heaven. They also said that, as adults, those rice bottles came to them as a clear signal that, ‘The outside world had not forgotten us,’ and that, ‘This became one of the reasons they decided to choose freedom.’”
Ji-Young Kim: “We know what the North Korean regime fears most. It is not guns. It is not sanctions. It is outside information. More than anything else, the regime fears the truth of the outside world reaching its people. That is why it has created laws to block outside culture and information, and why it punishes young people especially harshly. But many young North Koreans already know. They are beginning to realize that the world is not what they were taught it was, and that what the regime has told them is not the whole truth.”
Ji-Young Kim: “According to recent testimony from North Korean defectors, those whom the regime fears most are people who have changed through exposure to outside information, and defectors who speak the truth before the international community. What they fear is the exposure of lies and the revelation of the true nature of the system…Testimony that some people have come to know God through outside information, and that there are even those who pray together while imprisoned, is profoundly important. It shows that inside North Korean society, what is growing is not merely access to information, but also human dignity, conscience, and the power to think for oneself. It means that inner change has begun within a society long maintained by control and fear. And that change, too, begins with outside information.”
Sang-Hak Park: “Kim Jong Un will not give up nuclear weapons and missiles so long as they are necessary to preserve his hereditary system. At the same time, he will try to prevent the North Korean people from recognizing a free and prosperous South Korea as an object of hope. The moment North Koreans come to know the reality of South Korea and begin to dream of freedom, the legitimacy of the hereditary dictatorship cannot help but be fundamentally shaken.”
About the Urgent Need to Rescue the Two North Korean Prisoners of War in Ukraine
Jeong-Hun Choi: “The North Korean regime has exploited them (North Korean troops) as a tool of propaganda. Kim Jong Un has portrayed the fallen soldiers as symbols of loyalty to the regime and of victory, using their deployment to justify his rule and reinforce internal cohesion. This demonstrates that the North Korean regime does not treat its people’s lives as something to be protected, but rather as political instruments.”
Jeong-Hun Choi: “If they are repatriated to North Korea against their will under such circumstances, there is an extremely high likelihood that they will face severe punishment by the regime. In North Korea, becoming a prisoner of war is not regarded merely as a military failure. It may be treated as betrayal of the system or even treason. Moreover, since their faces and intentions have already been made public, not only these individuals themselves but also their families remaining in North Korea face a serious risk of retaliation and punishment…If these men are returned to North Korea, the risk of persecution is not an abstract concern. It is a very real and concrete danger.”
Quotes from Delegation’s Presentations from the DFF Forum
*In the order of presentation
Ji-Young Kim: “The North Korean regime is not a system that changes easily through dialogue. It sends conciliatory messages only when necessary, while in reality it has continued to strengthen control over its people and block information. The approach that peace can be maintained if we simply avoid provoking North Korea does not reflect reality. In the end, it is the North Korean people who pay the price for silence and concessions…One radio, one small storage device, or one brief story about the outside world can change a person’s life.”
Kang-Il Hu: “North Korean defectors are not merely victims of the past. We are key participants who will help shape the future of free unification. Free unification is not a distant ideal. It is a concrete goal that we must build together. As people who risked our lives to seek freedom, we will continue to defend the liberal democracy of the Republic of Korea and the ROK-U.S. alliance, and we will fight to the end for the freedom of the North Korean people.”
Jae-Hee Lee: “Even at this very moment, they (female shock brigade members) are probably working without any compensation, in hunger and cold. They are probably living without protection as women, and with even their dignity as human beings taken away. They are not there because they are weak. They are there because they had no choice. They are not silent because they have nothing to say. They are silent because they are not allowed to speak.”
Il-Chul Yang: “The easiest way to explain North Korea is to say that the entire country is like one giant prison. The difference from an ordinary prison is that in North Korea, a person can lose their life simply for questioning the way they are controlled, or for trying to have faith. In that reality, North Koreans are beginning to understand how the world works through outside information they receive through radios, flash drives, and other means.”
Chun-Hyok Choi: “I went out to sea in a small wooden boat, risking death, simply to provide for my family and put even a little food on the table. I knew I could be punished. I knew I could die. But I had no other choice. This is not only my story. Many North Koreans are forced to make dangerous choices, not for happiness or freedom, but simply to avoid starvation… Workers are not treated as independent human beings. They are treated as objects to be managed and controlled by the state… But even at this very moment, countless North Korean men are risking their lives at sea, in mines, and on construction sites. They are not lazy. They are not incapable. Their labor is simply being exploited, and their lives are being controlled.”
Sun-Sil Lee: “Countless North Korean women are sold for money after crossing into China. They are forced into marriages they do not want and used as tools for pregnancy and childbirth…Once they are repatriated, they suffer beatings, torture, hunger, and humiliation in prison. They also endure shame and violence that are too painful to describe as women. These are things that no human being should ever do to another human being. The North Korean authorities are not unaware of this reality. They know it, but they turn away…Women who devoted their youth to serving the WPK and the state are sold like animals, and when they are repatriated, they are treated like criminals. They are beaten, starved, and left in the cold. Even at this very moment, nameless North Korean women and young girls are being sold for a small amount of money. But more than 35,000 North Korean defectors are witnesses. We are living evidence. The North Korean regime can no longer hide this reality.”
Gwang-Min Bae: “For North Koreans, outside information is not simply a matter of curiosity. It is a path that helps them realize the lies of the regime. Sometimes, one bottle of rice, one radio, or one USB can change a person’s life and the future of an entire family.”
Hannah Ji: “While North Korean people suffer from hunger, imprisonment, and forced labor, the regime continues to threaten the international community with nuclear weapons and missiles. I believe the international community must never separate North Korea’s nuclear threats from its human rights crimes. The suffering of the North Korean people and the security threats facing the international community both come from the same regime.”
Sang-Hak Park: “If the North Korean people come to know the truth, the lies and propaganda built by the Kim dynasty will collapse. The North Korean regime fears truth more than guns, and outside information more than missiles… But even if the Kim Jong Un regime threatens the world with nuclear weapons and missiles, closes its borders, and blocks information, it cannot forever stop the North Korean people’s desire for freedom and their longing for truth.”
Ga-Young Kim: “For the North Korean people, outside information is not simply entertainment. It is a path that helps them realize they have been deceived. It is proof that a free world exists. And it gives them hope that one day, they may be able to choose a different life. This is also why the North Korean regime is so afraid of outside information. A person who knows the truth can no longer remain truly loyal to a lie. When we look at North Korea, we must not look only at its nuclear weapons and missiles. What keeps that system alive is indoctrination that begins in childhood, along with surveillance, control, and the blocking of outside information.”
Jeong-Hun Choi: “Kang-Un Ri (27) attempted suicide even after being shot, in order to avoid becoming a prisoner. Pyong-Gang Baek (22) was also captured after being found injured in the leg and lying in the woods, and at the moment of his capture, he tried to blow himself up. Please help save these two young men who were driven onto the battlefield by the orders of the Kim Jong Un regime without even knowing the reason for this war. They are not soldiers who freely chose this path. They are victims who were sent to war through indoctrination and forced obedience. If they are repatriated back to North Korea, their lives cannot be guaranteed, and even their families may be placed in danger of punishment…North Korean soldiers are also victims of the Kim Jong Un regime.”
Responses from the 2026 NKFW Delegation to Their Visit
Ji-Young Kim, Chair of the Delegation: “I have returned after successfully concluding the 23rd North Korea Freedom Week (NKFW), held in Washington, D.C., this past April, through God’s grace. True to the theme of this NKFW —’Truth Shall Set Them Free: North Koreans Are Leading the Way’—the opportunity to raise my voice for the freedom and human rights of the North Korean people over the course of a week filled me with both excitement and a profound sense of responsibility. Because I used to serve as the NKFW coordinator, I was nervous and anxious—wondering whether my words and actions could truly and accurately represent the reality and sentiments of the North Korean people, and whether I could adequately fill the void left by the late Seong-Min Kim, who had led this NKFW for so many years. Above all, my greatest hope was that every member of the delegation would be able to complete this year’s NKFW safely. During this year’s NKFW, the delegation visited the U.S. Congress and various human rights organizations to raise awareness of North Korean human rights issues. Furthermore, through a Congressional hearing, roundtable discussions, and prayer gatherings, we were able to reaffirm the international community’s solidarity in support of freedom for the people of North Korea. In particular, visiting the Victims of Communism Museum, which was established to serve as a reminder of the true nature of communism, gave me much food for thought. As I toured the museum, I was once again struck by how socialism and communism have historically suppressed human freedom. I fervently hope for the day when the dictatorship in North Korea would also crumble, leaving the sad reality and horrors of communism to remain merely as lessons in history. Also, I wish for the arrival of an era in which future generations would learn about the reality of North Korea through the exhibits of the museum. Furthermore, I was deeply moved when the museum representative informed me that they would be adding photographs to the exhibition featuring Suzanne and the late Seong-Min Kim—both of whom have dedicated themselves to the North Korean human rights movement. I felt a profound sense of gratitude knowing that their long-standing dedication to the freedom of the North Korean people would be remembered and preserved for posterity. I extend my deepest gratitude to Suzanne, who has dedicated herself to this NKFW more wholeheartedly than anyone else. Since the very first NKFW, for over two decades, she has fought steadfastly for the human rights of the North Korean people. Though Suzanne shares neither our language nor our ethnicity, we regard her as an angel sent by God for the people of North Korea, for we have witnessed how she empathizes with North Koreans’ suffering and takes action on our behalf more passionately than anyone else. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Congressman Chris Smith for hosting the Congressional hearing. I also extend my appreciation to Congresswoman Young Kim for her unwavering dedication in reauthorizing the North Korea Human Rights Act and for conveying a message of hope to the people of North Korea. Additionally, I acknowledge the countless individuals who have contributed to this cause, though their names are too numerous to mention individually. For North Korean defectors, fighting for the freedom of our homeland is, perhaps, akin to destiny. Yet, the fact that Americans—people of a different nation and language—stand with us to pray and take action on behalf of the North Korean people has brought us immense comfort and hope. Through this year’s NKFW, I have once again realized the preciousness of freedom. I firmly believe that someday, freedom will come to my homeland as well—a day when the people of North Korea, too, will enjoy the rights to freedom, equality, opportunity, and choice. Until that day arrives, I will also continue to raise my voice even more boldly in support of the freedom of the North Korean people.”
Gwang-Min Bae: “I would like to express my deep gratitude to the North Korea Freedom Coalition (NKFC) members for making it possible to hold the 23rd North Korea Freedom Week in Washington, D.C., the stronghold of liberal democracy, even in this difficult environment where the North Korean human rights movement is being suppressed more than ever under a pro-North Korean leftist government in South Korea. I also once again sincerely thank the patriotic Korean American community for warmly welcoming and serving our delegation like family. Through this North Korea Freedom Week, the vivid testimonies of defectors were delivered to the U.S. Congress and the international community. It was deeply meaningful to be able to inform the world of the miserable reality of North Korean people who are barely surviving under the brutal exploitation and oppression of the hereditary dictatorship, and of the inhumane crimes of the Kim dynasty. I hope this event will become an important opportunity for people of conscience around the world to condemn and pressure the North Korean dictatorship. It was also deeply encouraging and reassuring to see the United States, the world’s sole superpower, stand as our ally in opposing the North Korean dictatorship and taking the lead for the freedom and human rights of the North Korean people. Through this week, I once again realized how important our mission is. I will not stop delivering the message of truth and freedom to the North Korean people through Free North Korea Radio and Operation Truth. Once again, I extend my deepest gratitude to the NKFC members and to others who stood with us.”
Chun-Hyok Choi: “After coming to South Korea, I lived mostly pursuing my own interests rather than living for others. Before joining the 23rd North Korea Freedom Week with the leaders and senior members of the delegation, I honestly thought more about going on a trip to America. However, after seeing with my own eyes how sincerely the North Korea Freedom Coalition members and others who joined worked and devoted themselves to North Korean defectors and human rights, I felt truly ashamed of myself. I was deeply moved to see Suzanne Scholte, who lives far away across the continent, dedicate decades of her life to the human rights of North Korean people despite having no personal ties to North Korea, and to see her weep together with us. I was also deeply touched by the Korean American community, who served us with sincere generosity and care. As a defector, I learned so much. Although I am still lacking, I came to feel that if I can be of even small help, I want to follow the path my seniors have walked and join this work with whatever strength I have. I also sincerely thank everyone who was with us throughout this schedule. For the first time outside of Korea, I felt a family-like atmosphere and warm love. It was a truly meaningful and joyful time. Lastly, I want to sincerely thank Grayson and Johnny. Because you cared for us and helped us in so many ways, we were able to complete this trip successfully. Once again, I sincerely thank everyone who was with us.”
Jeong-Hun Choi: “To all members of the delegation who took part in the 23rd North Korea Freedom Week, thank you so much for all your hard work. Every time I go to the United States, I am deeply moved by the North Korea Freedom Coalition (NKFC) members and the Korean American community, who pray, weep, and dedicate themselves to North Korea even more than we defectors do. That makes me feel both sorry and deeply grateful, and it makes me resolve to do better myself. During this week, I was surprised to see a child I had met 12 years ago now grown into an adult. But what moved me even more was seeing that, both then and now, this person has continued to take part in North Korea Freedom Week for the sake of North Korea. It was truly precious and deeply meaningful to see that the heart for North Korea’s freedom has not changed even after so many years. What I most want to say to the NKFC members is this: ‘Please stay healthy.’ One day, when we enter a free Pyongyang together, I hope the NKFC members will be able to stand at the Arch of Triumph where Kim Il Sung once stood and tell the North Korean people: ‘We fought for your freedom for all these years.’ Until that day comes, I too will fight harder. I sincerely thank everyone who worked so hard for this North Korea Freedom Week.”
Kang-Il Hu: “I would like to express my deep gratitude to the North Korea Freedom Coalition members for their wholehearted dedication in making the 23rd North Korea Freedom Week a new turning point for the cause of freedom and human rights liberation in North Korea and for helping draw strong interest from political and public circles in the United States. I also sincerely thank delegation chair Ji-Young and all members of the delegation for their tremendous efforts and devotion in successfully completing the well-organized 10-day schedule and returning home safely. Even now, I cannot forget the wreath-laying ceremony at the Korean War Memorial, engraved with the slogan, ‘Freedom is not free!’ It continues to flash through my mind and stir my heart. Meeting 96-year-old veteran Rudy Meekins, who survived the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, deeply impressed upon me the value of freedom and the fact that the ROK–U.S. alliance, forged in blood, is an invaluable bond that can never be broken and will continue forever. It also became an opportunity to reaffirm that, based on the ironclad ROK–U.S. alliance forged through bloodshed, it is possible to bring an end to the wicked Lee government, which is destroying South Korea’s liberal democracy both openly and covertly while drawing the country deeper into the sphere of Communist China and North Korea. Achieving peaceful unification through freedom is the earnest wish of all of us who risked our lives to seek freedom. Therefore, I hope that the annual North Korea Freedom Week can become a valuable asset that awakens the approximately 34,000 North Korean defectors who are the ‘first unified Koreans’ and guides them toward freedom-based unification, while also drawing deep interest and attention from American political circles, the international community, and South Korean society.”
Hannah Ji: “I sincerely thank everyone who worked so hard to make the 23rd North Korea Freedom Week a success. I am deeply grateful to Suzanne Scholte, who has devoted herself on the international stage for the people of our homeland who are suffering under the tyranny of a dictator, and to all the members of the North Korea Freedom Coalition. I was especially moved by Suzanne’s heart when, on the day before we left, she stayed up through the night writing warm words of encouragement and Bible verses for each member of the delegation. I will never forget that love and encouragement. The voice of freedom that we cry out will surely travel through the airwaves of Free North Korea Radio and echo across our homeland, North Korea. I believe that voice will become hope for the North Korean people who are still suffering in darkness. I long for the day when Kim Jong Un’s dictatorship collapses and free unification is achieved, when we can all stand together by the Taedong River and raise a toast with the famous Taedong River Beer, celebrating the day of freedom. Until that day comes, I will not stop telling the world about the suffering of forcible repatriation victims and the North Korean people. Once again, I sincerely thank everyone who worked so hard for this North Korea Freedom Week.”
Ga-Young Kim: “As I took part in the 23rd North Korea Freedom Week, I felt many things and also had the opportunity to reflect on myself. I was moved to tears several times as I watched the North Korea Freedom Coalition (NKFC) members and the Korean American community sincerely devote themselves for the freedom and human rights of the North Korean people over so many years. Even for me, as a defector, this is not easy work. Seeing people who have no conditions or demands weep with us and raise their voices for decades made me deeply grateful, and at the same time, it made me feel ashamed of myself. Through this time, I realized once again that freedom is never given for free. I believe the NKFC ’s long years of dedication will surely be remembered by history and will remain for a long time in the hearts of North Korean people and defectors. I will also never forget the precious love and inspiration I received during this event. I will carry a greater sense of responsibility for North Korean human rights and share this issue with more people. I also plan to upload videos related to this activity on my personal channel so that more people can learn about the reality of the North Korean people and the preciousness of freedom. I pray that the NKFC members will always remain healthy and be with us under God’s blessings. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Jae-Hee Lee: “Through the 23rd North Korea Freedom Week, I visited the United States and took part in North Korean human rights activities for the first time. Although it was my first time participating, I was able to witness closely the sincerity and dedication of many senior defectors and activists. It was a deeply meaningful time of learning for me. In particular, I want to express my deep respect and gratitude to the North Korea Freedom Coalition members, who have consistently raised their voice for the freedom and human rights of the North Korean people for so many years. Their heart in praying, acting, and standing with the North Korean people until the end deeply moved and challenged me. Through this activity, I also came to feel a greater sense of responsibility and calling regarding North Korean human rights. I no longer want to leave buried in silence the suffering I experienced and the reality still faced by young people and women in North Korea. I now want to speak about it with greater courage. Going forward, whenever I have the opportunity, I will follow the path that my seniors have walked, continue to learn, and raise my voice together for the freedom and human rights of the North Korean people. I sincerely thank everyone who prepared this precious opportunity and welcomed us so warmly. I will continue to pray for everyone’s health and all of the coalition’s work, and I send my deepest respect and support.”
Sun-Sil Lee: “It was deeply meaningful for me to take part in the 23rd North Korea Freedom Week and to testify before the U.S. Congress and the international community about the suffering North Korean women have endured, including forcible repatriation and the horrific reality of human trafficking. During the Arduous March, I had to raise my child amid hunger and cold. I crossed the Yalu River in search of freedom, but what awaited me was not freedom, but human trafficking and the fear of forced repatriation. As I shared my story during this week, I once again felt deeply that this is not only my own pain, but the reality still faced by countless North Korean women today. Above all, I am deeply grateful to the North Korea Freedom Coalition members, who have prayed, wept, and acted for North Korean people and defectors with unwavering dedication for so many years. Seeing them work even harder for North Korea’s freedom than we defectors do moved me greatly, and it also made me resolve to raise my voice even more. I also sincerely thank the Korean American community for warmly welcoming and serving our delegation like family. It gave me great comfort and strength to know that, even in a foreign land, there are people who share the pain of North Korean people and pray together for them. Through this North Korea Freedom Week, I reaffirmed my mission to make the issues of human trafficking and forced repatriation of North Korean women more clearly known to the international community. North Korean women are not criminals. They are victims who must be protected, and they are people with the right to live in freedom. I will continue to testify and speak out so that their suffering will not be forgotten, and until forcible repatriation comes to an end.”
Sang-Hak Park: “Although 23 years have passed since the historic beginning of ‘North Korea Freedom Week,’ North Korea’s totalitarian hereditary dictatorship centered on the Supreme Leader — something unprecedented in history — still remains firmly in place. The dictatorships of Maduro in Venezuela, Khamenei in Iran, and the Castro regime in Cuba are all nearly on the verge of collapse, yet the third-generation hereditary dictatorship of Kim Jong Un has armed itself with nuclear weapons and is intensifying both its repression and its human rights abuses against its people. Therefore, this 23rd North Korea Freedom Week served as an opportunity for all participants, including the founder of North Korea Freedom Week, Suzanne Scholte, to renew our determination. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the participants and supporters who dedicated themselves and worked hard for this event, especially the North Korea Freedom Coalition members. I sincerely hope that this great movement will continue until the day the North Korean people achieve freedom and liberation.”
Il-Chul Yang: “It was deeply meaningful for me to take part in the 23rd North Korea Freedom Week and to share with the U.S. Congress and the international community the realities inside North Korea that I personally saw and experienced until I came to South Korea last year. Through this week, I once again felt that the suffering of the North Korean people must no longer be left in silence. For North Korean people, outside information is not just news. It is a small hope that allows them to see the world. I have survived and come to the land of freedom, but there are still people left behind in North Korea, living under hunger, cold, surveillance, and control. Through this North Korea Freedom Week, I have resolved to continue speaking about North Korean human rights and to take part in making known the reality of North Korea that I saw and experienced.”
“The North Korea Freedom Coalition has built a movement where defectors, advocates, churches, and citizens can stand together for truth and freedom. Congratulations for your most recent successful North Korea Freedom Week 2026” —
Thomas J. Belke, author of Juche: A Christian Study of North Korea’s State Religion
Acta Non Verba
