On Thursday, Nov. 7, representatives from the Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) organization visited the West Ranch LiNK club for a special guest-speaker session to teach students about the current conditions in North Korea and how they can help.
LiNK is a global organization that raises money to help North Korean refugees who have escaped across the Chinese border. So far, 188 refugees have been rescued. At West Ranch, representatives explained the organization and shared future plans.
Prior to the meeting, Jonathan Kim, co-president of the West Ranch LiNK club, expressed anticipation in an interview with JSR.
“Hopefully a lot of people will come today,” Kim said. “We put up a bunch of posters and flyers around the school campus.”
A total of 55 students gathered, and the meeting officially began when speakers Josh Lee, Jessica Choe, and Jessica Monteagudo introduced themselves as “nomads.” They explained that they travel around California, speaking to schools and raising funds.
Students then saw the video of “Danny from North Korea,” a story about a refugee who shares his experiences in North Korea and his new life after his escape. Over the film’s 20 minutes, students gained more insight about North Korea.
Andrew Chang, a West Ranch sophomore and one of the attendees, commented “Although I knew about what was happening in North Korea and their propaganda to shield the view of the outside world, I learned and understood more about their situation through an actual person’s perspective.”
After the film, the speakers shared LiNK’s plan to build “a bridge to North Korea” and help the rescued people find and reconnect with their families and friends. The speakers passed out small fundraising pamphlets and encouraged students to raise more money with food drives and recycling.
Lee said, “Make the fundraising fun… you guys can have fun and help those who need help at the same time.”
The West Ranch LiNK rescue team will continue to fundraise and raise awareness of this global organization.
