North Korea Freedom Week 2026 Report and Acknowledgements

Sunday, April 26

NKFW Opening Church Service at Pilgrim Community Church

Thank you to Pastor Jason Oh for hosting the delegation to attend the opening church service for this year’s NKFW. In previous years, the late Seong-Min Kim and Suzanne Scholte, as co-Chairs of NKFW, traditionally opened NKFW with a worship service, and in continuing this meaningful tradition, the delegation attended the opening service at Pilgrim Community Church, a longstanding supporter of North Korean defectors and the cause of freedom for the people of North Korea. The service provided an important opportunity for the delegation to worship together, seek God’s guidance, and pray for the events and meetings throughout NKFW.

The Korean War Memorial Wreath-Laying Ceremony

Thank you to Ralph Walton for hosting the wreath-laying ceremony and providing a tour of the Korean War Memorial. In North Korea, people are taught from a young age to hate the United States and to believe that the United States started the Korean War. In reality, however, Americans sacrificed their lives to defend the freedom of South Korea, and it is because of those sacrifices that South Korea enjoys freedom today. For this reason, it was especially meaningful for the delegation to take a moment to honor the Americans who lost their lives during the Korean War and to renew the delegation’s commitment to working for the freedom of the North Korean people. Thank you to Hannah Kim of Remember 727 for joining the ceremony and sharing the importance of honoring and remembering those who sacrificed their lives to defend South Korea’s freedom during the Korean War. A special thank you goes to Rudy Meekins, a survivor of the Chosin Few, for participating in the ceremony. The delegation was deeply honored to meet Rudy Meekins and expressed sincere gratitude for his service and sacrifice in defending South Korea’s freedom. Jeong-Hun Choi led the delegation during the wreath-laying ceremony and shared North Korean defectors’ continued commitment to fighting for the freedom of the North Korean people. “Just as the United States and United Nations forces sacrificed their lives more than 70 years ago to defend the freedom of South Korea, North Korean defectors will now walk the same path together with freedom-loving Americans for the freedom of the people of North Korea,” said Jeong-Hun Choi. In addition, Ga-Young Kim, a former kindergarten teacher in North Korea, spoke about the critical role that access to outside information plays in helping North Koreans discern truth from state propaganda and misinformation. “North Korean children repeatedly learn through games and lessons to defeat U.S. imperialists, and they are taught that the United States is an evil country responsible for dividing the Korean Peninsula…However, North Koreans — especially the Jangmadang generation — are gradually beginning to distinguish lies from truth through access to outside information. Therefore, the free world must continue to speak out and pay greater attention to the people of North Korea,” said Ga-Young Kim. Lastly, the delegation reflected on the phrase, “Freedom is not free,” remembering that freedom is never guaranteed, but rather preserved through the sacrifice and dedication of others.