Wednesday, April 29
Capitol Hill Forum: U.S. Policy for a Free & Unified Korea
Thank you to Kenji Sawai of Global Peace Foundation for hosting a forum for the delegation to discuss ways to achieve a free and peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula. Kang-Il Hu, Ji-Young Kim, Sang-Hak Park, and Ga-Young Kim participated on behalf of the delegation in the forum’s first session, titled “North Korean Escapees Voice for Free & Unified Korea.” During the session, all the delegation members emphasized the importance of outside information. “One of the most powerful forces for changing North Korea is not military force, but information. Information changes people and changed people eventually change society,” said Ji-Young Kim. Also, Sang-Hak Park, who has been leading leaflet launch in South Korea, explained the reason why the Kim regime fears leaflets. “The Kim regime fears these leaflets because if North Koreans come to know the truth, the false propaganda built by the Kim dynasty will collapse. The North Korean regime fears truth more than guns, and it fears outside information more than missiles,” said Sang-Hak Park. Lastly, Ga-Young Kim pointed out that outside information provides hope to the people of North Korea. “For North Koreans, outside information is not simply entertainment. It is a path that helps them realize they have been deceived. It is evidence that a free world exists. It is hope that one day, they may be able to choose a different life,” said Ga-Young Kim.
Following the two sessions, Ambassador Robert Joseph delivered a keynote address and stated that the North Korea issue is rooted not only in nuclear weapons, but in the long-standing division of the Korean Peninsula, making a free and unified Korea the ultimate solution. Ambassador Joseph emphasized that denuclearization, human rights, and regional stability are interconnected, and called for a long-term strategy centered on reunification, human rights, international cooperation, and support for democratic change in North Korea. He also emphasized that it is important to understand that for the North Korean regime, nuclear weapons are not merely weapons, but a core means of regime survival. The North Korean regime uses nuclear weapons to threaten outside actors, leverage negotiations, and strengthen its legitimacy domestically. Therefore, treating the nuclear issue separately from the nature of the regime, its human rights abuses, social control, and the division of the Korean Peninsula has fundamental limitations.
Media Coverage
https://www.christiantoday.co.kr/news/374861 (KOR)
https://kr.christianitydaily.com/articles/131382/20260429/북한자유주간-정책포럼-북핵·인권-해법은-원코리아.htm (KOR)
http://www.koreatimes.com/article/20260501/1611654 (KOR)
koreatimes.com/article/20260501/1611654 (KOR)
https://www.christianpost.com/news/how-exposure-to-truth-led-to-a-north-korean-familys-escape.html (ENG)
https://globalpeace.org/choosing-freedom-hyunseung-lees-story-of-truth-and-escape/ (ENG)
Congressional Roundtable
Thank you to Congresswoman Young Kim (R-CA) and her staff and Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA) for hosting a congressional roundtable to provide an opportunity to have open discussion with Members of the U.S. Congress. Thank you to Congressman Tom Barrett (R-MI) and Congressman James Moylan (R-GU) for participating in the roundtable and rendering support for the freedom of the people of North Korea.
Congresswoman Young Kim welcomed the delegation and emphasized the significance of the 23rd annual NKFW, highlighting her long-standing commitment to North Korean human rights issues. She stressed the importance of reauthorizing the North Korea Human Rights Act to strengthen efforts related to information access, human rights advocacy, and support for defectors and refugees. Congresswoman Young Kim also affirmed that she would share the delegation’s stories with her colleagues, being the voice of the delegation.
Congressman James Moylan expressed sorrow that North Koreans continue to endure suffering despite years of advocacy and emphasized the need for a stronger U.S.–ROK alliance and greater Indo-Pacific preparedness. He praised the courage of North Korean defectors for sharing their testimonies, noting that their stories help shape policy and strengthen efforts to advance freedom for the North Korean people.
Congressman Tom Barrett, who was deployed to Korea with the U.S. Army when he was 19 years old, shared with the delegation that he has a piece of barbed wire from the DMZ in his office that he received during his service in Korea. Congressman Barrett emphasized that the defectors’ journey in search of freedom and human dignity reminds Americans that the freedom and dignity they take for granted are not guaranteed.
When the delegation was asked about the situation of North Korean refugees in China, the delegation requested the U.S. Congress work to stop China from forcibly repatriating North Korean refugees back to North Korea. “There are still many North Korean women in situations even more painful and miserable than what I experienced. Many women did not go to China in search of freedom. They crossed the border simply to eat one meal and survive one more day, only to be sold. If they are repatriated, they will be beaten and tortured in North Korea,” said Sun-Sil Lee. She added that North Korean women and children are the most vulnerable victims, and that the international community must speak with one voice for them.
Also, the delegation stressed the need to pass the North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act. “Reauthorizing the North Korea Human Rights Act would be a great source of hope not only for North Koreans, but also for defectors settled in South Korea and those who will seek freedom in the future,” said Ji-Young Kim.
Further, the delegation urged the U.S. Congress to save the two North Korean soldiers captured in the Ukraine War. Jeong-Hun Choi shared that the North Korean soldiers were mobilized for a foreign war without even knowing why they had to go to that battlefield. They were forced to continue advancing even under gunfire, and that more than 7,000 deployed North Korean soldiers are known to have been wounded or killed. “Only two North Korean soldiers are known to have survived and been taken prisoner in Ukraine, and that they are at risk of being sent back to North Korea during negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. If they return to North Korea, they are very likely to be executed,” said Jeong-Hun Choi. In response, Congresswoman Young Kim assured the delegation that if she is given an opportunity, she will bring this issue to the attention of the Ukrainian government.
After the roundtable, Il-Chul Yang, who defected from North Korea across the DMZ, received a military challenge coin from Congressman Barrett to congratulate him for achieving freedom because of his courageous escape.
Official Press Release by Congresswoman Young Kim’s Office
Official Facebook and Instagram Post by Congresswoman Young Kim’s Office
Media Coverage
https://www.christiantoday.co.kr/news/374833 (KOR)
https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260430010009822 (KOR)
https://www.chosun.com/international/us/2026/05/01/7SBBQXKXFNGSNHNLIDPPL63TJQ/ (KOR)
https://www.christianitydaily.com/news/rep-young-kim-vows-to-be-the-voice-for-north-korean.html (ENG)
https://www.chosun.com/english/world-en/2026/05/01/K6XM2UPW7RACZKSJYW23RBGBMI/ (ENG)
Private Dinner
Thank you to Tae-Hwan Kim, President of Korean Community Center, for hosting dinner for the delegation. The delegation had a chance to engage in fellowship with the Korean community in Northern Virginia.
