Category Archives: LFNKR
Day Dedicated to Saving North Korean Refugees
September 22 was World “Save North Korean Refugees” Day
LFNKR sent out Letters of Petition to the Chinese embassy and all the consulates in Japan, urging China’s president Xi Jinping to provide to North Korea refugees who escape into China fair treatment according to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a document which China signed and ratified on September 24, 1982.
3 Young Women Trapped by Human Trafficking
Join Our Rescue Mission!
LFNKR has so far helped more than 200 North Korean refugees escape to safe destinations where they’ve been able to start new lives.
Earlier this week, we received urgent requests from three desperate North Korean women in China. They are all in their early thirties, victims of human trafficking. Two of them had been sold to extremely poor Chinese farmers in Hebei.
Why one young lady escaped from North Korea
On May 12, 2017, Yong-mee Lee was invited to Tokyo University to present a speech to the students.
Yong-mee Lee is one of the North Korean refugees whom LFNKR (Life Funds for North Korean Refugees) has helped to safely reach Japan and resettle here. We are very happy to see the growing number of resettled North Korean refugees now helping LFNKR. They are actively participating in our activities to raise awareness of the difficulties still faced by the North Korean people. The following speech was presented by Yong-mee Lee.
You have just saved another life
Your donations do make a difference
Your support has enabled us to save a 27-year-old North Korean refugee. On February 23, LFNKR successfully completed the rescue mission to bring Mr. Y.Y. out of China to a safe place.
It has been your generous support and donations that made it possible for him to even dream of freedom.
Five more remaining people still await their chance for rescue. We are thankful for your concern for these people living at risk. If you would like to donate to help these five to reach safety, please click through to our donation page.
With sincere thanks,
Hiroshi Kato, Director of LFNKR
Follow-up of Mr. Choi Myung Bok
Choi’s legal status is still pending
On February 13, LFNKR received the following press release from the Human Rights Center “Memorial” in Russia. Mr. Choi Myung Bok has managed to avoid the deportation. However, his case is still pending a final decision.
LFNKR sincerely hopes that Mr. Choi will be granted refugee status as soon as possible or alternatively be allowed safe passage to a third country of refuge.
Join Our Christmas Campaign to Rescue 6 NK Refugees
On Nov. 26, LFNKR received a rescue request from a group of six North Korean refugees, one of whom is a 4-year-old girl. These people are survivors of the heavy flooding caused by North Korea’s torrential rains in late August. Reportedly, more than 100,000 people lost their homes.
Flooded village in North Korea
One LFNKR member visited the China-North Korea border and took photos of the affected area. The following two photos were taken two days after the flooding.
After their village was completely swept away by the disaster, these six people fled to China, initially searching for food just to survive. Soon afterward they heard about LFNKR and contacted us for help relocating.
For more details, refer to: this CNN article
In this Christmas season, with the spirit of giving and receiving, we gratefully thank you for all the assistance you have sent us in the past. And we invite you to join us in helping these six refugees reach safety.
LFNKR’s 19th ANNUAL MEETING HELD ON OCT. 10, 2016
Annual Meeting Held in Tokyo
A summary of LFNKR activities during fiscal 2015 (Sept. 1, 2015 to Aug. 31, 2016) and the plans for the next fiscal year were outlined at the annual meeting.
Global Festa Japan 2016
Two former North Korean defectors, who have now resettled in Japan, talk about their own experiences
Global Festa Japan 2016 was held at Odaiba in Tokyo on October 1st and 2nd. This annual event was jointly hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and several other Japanese governmental organizations. The major purpose of the festival, an International Cooperation Day, is to promote awareness of the need for the international cooperation and the importance of joint efforts between the governmental and citizen groups, as well as NGOs. During the two-day event, 269 organizations and groups participated and about 100,000 people visited.