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LiNK student organization raises funds for North Korean refugee

Christine Kim was frustrated when the student group she was most passionate about disintegrated after its leader graduated.

That discontent, paired with a passion for helping North Korean refugees, led her to found the UNC chapter of the nonprofit organization Liberty in North Korea in the fall of 2009.

Following the example that Kim set before graduating in 2010, LiNK finally achieved her ultimate goal at the end of the fall semester. The group succeeded in raising $2,500, enough to save one North Korean refugee, in just two semesters.

“I wanted to found a structural organization where, even after I graduated, there would be someone passionate enough to continue the organization,” Kim said.

The group raised the money by holding monthly fundraisers and publicity events such as a “Fast for Hunger,” where students were asked to donate their lunch money, said Hannah Ryu, who was the group’s president last semester.

Ryu said North Korea is a restrictive nation where citizens are not granted freedom of religion, speech or movement.

Because half of the nation lives in poverty and leaving the country is illegal, having funds to help refugees gain asylum is crucial, she said.

Angela Hall, LiNK’s current co-president, said refugees who are caught after escaping from North Korea are often thrown into prison camps where they face the possibility of torture and death.

“By rescuing one refugee, it’s saving a life,” Hall said.

The money raised by LiNK is used to pay for traveling expenses, legal fees and shelter for refugees.

The group has already sent the money to the national organization’s headquarters in Los Angeles, Ryu said.

The national LiNK organization uses the money to send their agents to border cities in China, where most refugees flee, said Lucas Edmond, co-chairman for the fundraising committee of UNC’s chapter.

Because China considers the refugees illegal immigrants, the agents must transport them to the U.S. or South Korean embassies in Southeast Asia, he said.

There, refugees are given immediate asylum and relocated, Edmond said.

Hall said LiNK plans to raise the same amount of money — enough to save another refugee — by the end of this semester, cutting the fundraising time in half.

Kim said she was happy to hear about LiNK’s success and is proud of the group’s efforts.

“Indirectly, I’ve accomplished my goal. I started with very little, but now I see this great fruit.”

Contact the University Editor at university@dailytarheel.com.

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