Liberty in North Korea

What Liberty in North Korea does

Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Long Beach, California, with regional offices in Seoul, South Korea, and field operations across Southeast Asia including Singapore, Thailand, and Myanmar. Founded in 2004 and operating under current President & CEO Hannah Song since 2008, the organization runs three core programmatic areas: (1) Refugee Rescues operating a 3,000-mile secret rescue route to extract North Korean refugees through China to safety, (2) Refugee Resettlement providing English language training, mentorship, scholarships, and community integration in the US and South Korea, and (3) Changing the Narrative through documentary-style video and digital content delivered across YouTube, Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and email. LiNK has rescued 1,395+ North Korean refugees cumulatively and is supported by 100+ grassroots LiNK Teams across 16 countries.

The organization's technical stack is light, with the website built on Webflow and Google Analytics tracking donor engagement; AI is used selectively for internal workflow augmentation (research, content structuring, translation, drafting, and editing) with all outputs staff-reviewed per a publicly disclosed AI Policy. Supporting product surface includes LiNK Labs (innovation division), LiNK English Language Program, Advocacy Fellows Program, and merchandise. Revenue is entirely donation-based and diversified across individual donors (including the Liberty Community monthly recurring program with tiers of $25, $75, $100, $250), foundation grants ($700,000 in 2021), corporate partnerships (most notably Flame Broiler across 180 restaurants), cryptocurrency, stock transfers, Amazon Smile, employer matching, and vehicle donations. Total resources received were $4.2 million in FY2021 (up from $3.3M in FY2020). Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer digital fundraising with community-led chapter activations and earned media in outlets such as CNN, BBC, Washington Post, Time, NPR, and Fox News; the organization also holds the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency and a Charity Navigator Four-Star rating as of 2025.

Name

Liberty in North Korea

Legal name

Liberty in North Korea

Website

https://libertyinnorthkorea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that rescues North Korean refugees via a 3,000-mile secret route, supports resettlement through education and mentorship, and shifts global narrative through digital storytelling, funded by diversified individual, corporate, and grant donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee Reception & Registration (BPADAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Refugee resettlement support
• Nonprofit fundraising programs
• Human rights advocacy
• Community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters worldwide. Monthly giving program (Liberty Community) provides sustainable funding for operations.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with companies like Flame Broiler where products generate donations (e.g., limited edition sauce with per-bottle donation).
3. Grants: Foundation grants including PPP Loan forgiveness and other institutional funding. In 2021, received $700,000 in grants.
4. Cryptocurrency Donations: Accepts cryptocurrency donations which are tax-deductible and avoid capital gains tax for donors.
5. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling merchandise (shop.libertyinnorthkorea.org) to raise funds and spread awareness.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that rescues North Korean refugees through a 3,000-mile secret escape route and provides post-resettlement support including mentorship, English language training, scholarships, and advocacy training. The organization also operates narrative-change programs to reshape global perceptions of the North Korean people and runs a global grassroots network of community chapters (LiNK Teams) that fundraise and raise awareness.

Product overview

Liberty in North Korea is a non-profit organization operating three core programmatic areas: Refugee Rescues (helping North Korean refugees escape through a 3,000-mile secret rescue route), Refugee Resettlement (supporting resettled refugees through mentorship, English language programs, and scholarships), and Changing the Narrative (awareness campaigns through video content and advocacy). Supporting programs include LiNK Labs (technology innovation for information access inside North Korea), LiNK Teams (student/community chapters globally), and the Advocacy Fellows Program. The organization accepts donations through an online platform supporting multiple currencies, cryptocurrency, and various giving methods including stock transfers and Donor Advised Funds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LiNK Labs: LiNK's research and innovation division focused on developing new strategies, technologies, and content to increase North Korean people's access to outside information and technology.
• Rescue Teams
• LiNK English Language Program (LELP)
• Advocacy Fellows Program
• LiNK Global

Products and services

• Refugee Rescues Helping North Korean refugees escape through a 3,000-mile secret rescue route to reach safety and freedom. Provided at no cost to refugees.
• Refugee Resettlement Comprehensive resettlement support for North Korean refugees including housing, education, employment, mentorship, and community building in the US and South Korea.
• Changing the Narrative Awareness and advocacy program focused on telling the stories of the North Korean people to reshape global perceptions and mobilize support.
• LiNK English Language Program (LELP) Builds capacity and confidence of North Korean refugees in conversational English, increasing access to career and educational opportunities.
• Advocacy Fellows Program Equips and empowers resettled North Koreans to become stronger leaders and advocates for the North Korean people issue by training them to share their stories effectively.
• Professional Mentorship Program Connects North Korean refugees in the US to mentors for personal and professional development support.
• Scholarships Scholarships offered in both the US and South Korea supporting North Koreans pursuing higher education.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Flame BroilercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Flame Broiler created a limited edition version of their Simply Magic Sauce with packaging featuring LiNK's work. For every bottle sold in one of their 180 restaurants, they made a donation to support Liberty in North Korea. Flame Broiler's founder Young Lee is a North Korean refugee descendant.
• Radio Free Asia (RFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on content and media initiatives. 22 radio broadcasts into North Korea featured or mentioned LiNK in 2021. Joint programming to reach North Korean audiences with information.
• Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship (Loyola Marymount University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with professors to develop and pilot an Entrepreneurship Program for North Korean refugees in the United States. Program taught business basics and provided small investments for new business ventures.
• Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership on upcoming project about North Korean refugees in South Korea and the money and information they send to families inside North Korea.
• Re:CodeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpcycling fashion company partnership where North Korean refugees came together to make face masks during the pandemic.
• Financial Consumer AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to teach financial literacy to newly arriving North Korean refugees through a financial management workshop.
• Selena + ChefminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAfter each episode, Selena + Chef donates to guest chef's charity of choice. Chef Esther Choi chose Liberty in North Korea, talking about rescue work while cooking K-BBQ.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK): HRNK is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to documenting and promoting human rights in North Korea through research, advocacy, and policy engagement — the closest mission-aligned peer, operating in the same NK human rights niche with overlapping donor bases and Washington policy circles.
• Refugees International: Refugees International advocates for displaced people globally through field-based research and direct engagement with governments and humanitarian actors — directly comparable advocacy-and-fundraising model focused on refugee protection, though broader in geography than LiNK's NK focus.
• Open Doors USA: Open Doors supports persecuted Christians worldwide through advocacy, awareness, and direct aid — a comparable advocacy-and-fundraising-driven model focused on people in restrictive regimes, with similar donor-mobilization mechanics (storytelling, recurring giving, grassroots teams).

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): The IRC is a major global humanitarian agency providing emergency aid, resettlement, and advocacy for refugees across dozens of countries. It is a much larger incumbent offering overlapping refugee services and resettlement support, relevant as a scale benchmark for LiNK's resettlement programs.
• Human Rights Watch: Human Rights Watch is a leading international human rights organization conducting investigations and advocacy on abuses worldwide, including North Korea. Comparable to LiNK's narrative-change and advocacy pillar, though it is far larger and operates through investigation/litigation rather than direct rescue.
• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a large global humanitarian NGO working in conflict-affected regions with programs in resettlement, economic empowerment, and narrative change. Comparable organizational scale and donor-funded operating model, though its geographic and programmatic scope is far broader than LiNK's.
• International Crisis Group: International Crisis Group is a global think tank producing field-based analysis and policy recommendations on conflict zones, including North Korea. Comparable to LiNK's advocacy arm in addressing root-cause geopolitical issues, though it does not run direct service programs.
• The Asia Foundation: The Asia Foundation is a development NGO working across the Asia-Pacific on governance, economic, and civil-society programs. It is comparable in nonprofit operating model and grantmaking culture, and supports initiatives with regional overlap (South Korea and Southeast Asia where LiNK operates).
• National Endowment for Democracy (NED): NED is a U.S. nonprofit that funds civil society, media, and democratic movements abroad, including initiatives targeting North Korea. Comparable to LiNK's broader information-access and narrative-change work, though NED operates as a grantmaker rather than a direct service provider.

Emerging players

• NK News: NK News is a subscription-based news and analysis service covering North Korea, with a partial overlap in mission: informing international audiences about the DPRK and the Korean peninsula. It is comparable to LiNK's narrative-change focus but operates as media rather than direct service.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/libertyinnk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCowMJ16vcNtqJJFTSH3yEVg
• Facebookfacebook.com/libertyinnk
• Instagraminstagram.com/libertyinnorthkorea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/libertyinnorthkorea

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Liberty in North Korea