We deeply appreciate your interest in and concern for North Korean
refugees.
If you would like to learn more about the issues and people
involved, you can use the list of suggested resources below to
help you gain a deeper grasp of the issues.
An excellent way to get involved is to write letters on behalf
of North Koreans. Here are a few of the many resources available:
Our links page gives a useful list of websites
devoted to Korean and North Korean issues. Our
Links Page
Sample
Letters:
Amnesty International Letter Writing Guide
This also includes good links to sites with information on human
rights)
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/guide.pdf
Embassy Addresses of the DPRK
From the Christian Solidarity Worldwide website
http://www.csw.org.uk/Countries/NorthKorea/
Embassies/NKEmbassies.pdf
There are Amnesty International chapters in most major cities
throughout the world. You might consider joining
the one closest to you. If they are not already working actively
on North Korean issues, then there is no better time to urge
them to start.
http:www.amnesty.org
If you have friends or colleagues who are interested in North
Korean issues, why not organize a study group, or invite speakers
in? You don't have to be a large group to be effective.
If you are interested in organizing a demonstration to protest
the Chinese government's policy toward North Korean refugees,
you can usually use the Internet to find the address for The
PRC Embassy or consulate in your area.
Chinese Embassy USA: http://www.china-embassy.org
Chinese Embassy in UK: http:www.chinese-Embassy.org.UK/eng
Chinese embassy in Tokyo: http://www.china-embassy.or.jp
Recommended Reading:
Background information from Amnesty International:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/north_korea/index.do
Background Reading from Human Rights Watch:
http://hrw.org/doc/?t=asia_pub&c=nkorea
North Korea: Another Country
By Bruce Cumings
Separated at Birth
By Gordon Cucullu
The Two Koreas
By Don Oberdorfer
Aquariums of Pyongyang
By Kang Chol-Hwan
Eyes of the Tailless Animals
By Soon Ok Lee
Movies & Books on North Korea
Dooman River (2010) by Zhang Lu
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1500177/ IMDB reference page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VhUPzBhulI Trailer on YouTube
This movie was made by a Chinese director, possibly part Korean. The story is about two children, a NK refugee and a Korean-Chinese. Previous films by this director have brought good reviews, and this one is reported to have received prizes.
Journals of Musan (2010) by Park Jeong-Beom
This film won the 'new currents' award at the Pusan Film Festival this year. It paints a harsh picture of the difficulties a NK defector faces living in SK.
KimJongilia (2009)
http://www.kimjongiliathemovie.com
http://vodpod.com/watch/1901835-kimjongilia-a-film-about-north-korea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTragUC8AnY
Clips from the controversial documentary on Kim Jong Il. The makers of this film encourage local groups to host screenings. More information at the website.
Welcome to North Korea (2001) by Peter Tetteroo and Raymond Feddema
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ6E3cShcVU
An old documentary on NK. Some reviewers have called it uninteresting, but it can provide useful background info.
Children of the secret state (2000)
http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/children_of_the_secret_state.php
Hiding
http://www.linkglobal.org/hiding/
A documentary about escaping NK refugees, filmed by LINK, an NGO in the US. They seem to be younger film-makers who have taken a reality TV kind of approach. This differs from the more traditional documentary approach above.
Escaping North Korea (2008) by Mike Kim
http://www.escapingnorthkorea.com/
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-30-2009/mike-kim
Nothing To Envy, a book by Barbara Demick
http://nothingtoenvy.com/
Jia, a book which relates the story of a girl born in a North Korean political prison.
She escapes with a soldier and becomes an orphan in Pyongyang. It then tells how she escapes to China. The book has received good reviews, though it is not very well known.
North Korea Kidnapped My Daughter, a book by Sakie Yakota.
A very emotional and engaging read.
In North Korea, an American Travels Through an Imprisoned Nation, a book by Nanchu and Xing Hang.
This book is not widely known, but it provides some surprising details, such as how China has missiles aimed at North Korea in the mountains. This book is available on Amazon.
We hope these resources help. Good luck to you and please let
us know how things go.
Thank you again for your interest in this vital issue.
