Within China is a population living in secret, stricken by perpetual fear and danger, their story untold. Hoping to raise awareness of the hardships faced by North Korean refugees, the Los Angeles-based group LiNK visited the Reeves Theater on October 26.
LiNK, short for Liberty in North Korea, has been touring universities to screen their new film Hiding, which depicts the group’s efforts to transport five North Korean refugees out of China.
The film accurately states that North Korea is the “darkest country in the world.” It is so repressive, in fact, that a refugee interviewed in the film is awed by the openness of Chinese society — a characterization not usually applied to the Chinese government. North Korea is governed by a totalitarian state that idolizes its leaders as gods and remains indifferent as its citizens suffer in famine.
In North Korea, it is dangerous to be a dissenter, and even more dangerous to flee the country. The border between North Korea and South Korea is the most heavily policed in the world. As a result, most North Korean refugees flee from the north into China. Upon reaching China, they live mostly underground.
Immigration policy in China dictates that, if found, the refugees will be deported back to North Korea. Of those sent back, one of two fates await: prison camp or execution as traitors. The only true path to freedom is to leave China for Southeast Asia; unaided, a feat that is nearly impossible.
LiNK’s goal is to transport 100 refugees out of China to shelters in Southeast Asia, with hopes of relocating 20 this year. Hiding documents a successful importation of five individuals, which took place this past August. It is a dangerous proposition for LiNK’s rescuers. If caught relocating refugees, they risk three years in Chinese prison.
One of the most affecting refugees shown in the film was a woman smuggled into China as a prostitute and ultimately sold to a “karaoke bar” for $15. Sadly, the woman viewed life in a brothel more favorably than her life in North Korea.
LiNK rose in prominence as a response to growing concern over the North Korean crisis. This awareness was due to the 2004 documentary Seoul Train, one of the first to expose the humanitarian issues surrounding North Korean refugees. Before LiNK, there was no centralized organization devoted to raising and relocating funds raised for assisting the refugees. LiNK remains the only group focused solely on the North Korean crisis.
The Reeves screening, though sparsely attended, evoked a strong reaction from viewers.
“I came in thinking, ‘Oh, North Korea. What else is there to know?’” said grad student Amber Kyambadde. “But [the film] was really eye-opening. I didn’t expect it.”
LiNK’s regional manager Brenda Abel joined the organization sharing similar sentiments. “I was floored,” she said. “How had I gone through so much and not heard of [the crisis]? So I dropped out of school to work with LiNK full time.”
Through the university tour, LiNK aims to foster student involvement in solving the North Korean crisis. Addressing the modest audience, member Pat Campbell said, “I am asking you to start a chapter,” challenging attendees to generate interest in the organization around UT.
Aside from starting a campus chapter, those interested in assisting LiNK can join the campaign, with a donation pledge of $9 per month. “Nomads,” their title for traveling members, are also needed for raising awareness of the North Korean crisis across America. More information on the organization and the film, visit http://www.linkglobal.org.
Micheal Angelo Rumore can be reached at mrumore@spartans.ut.edu.