Korea Future
Korea Future is a UK-registered non-profit that documents North Korean human rights violations through survivor interviews, two public databases, and visual investigations, and submits evidence to governments, UN bodies, and sanctions regimes to advance accountability.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersNew Malden, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Korea Future does
Korea Future is a non-profit human rights organization established in 2019 and headquartered in New Malden, Greater London. It was founded in response to requests from North Korean survivors seeking to advance accountability for human rights violations, and it collects, verifies, and analyses information concerning alleged violations of international law in North Korea to identify responsible individuals and institutions. The organization's primary "customers" are governments, United Nations bodies, and other multilateral organizations that use its evidence to inform legal, policy, and accountability processes.
Korea Future's portfolio comprises six interconnected product lines: the North Korean Prison Database (nkpd.io) and North Korean Religious Freedom Database (nkrf.io), which together consolidate evidence from 571 detailed interviews covering 9,150 documented violations, 1,095 perpetrators, 1,425 detainees, 514 religious-freedom victims, and 127 mapped locations; Visual Investigations using 3D modelling, satellite imagery, and survivor testimony to reconstruct penal facilities; a Capacity Building Programme that has trained 178+ exiled North Koreans since 2021; Advocacy through UN and EU policy engagement; and Accountability work focused on targeted sanctions regimes. The organization operates registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (charity 1185332) and as an ANBI in the Netherlands (RSIN 827496564), and runs from a 12-person team.
Korea Future funds its operations through charitable donations and grants rather than commercial revenue. Its go-to-market is policy- and legal-driven: it submits evidence directly to sanctions regimes (EU, US, UK, Canada, Australia), files legal submissions to UN bodies (Human Rights Council, General Assembly, Special Rapporteurs), and conducts policy briefings. In 2024, its evidence submission led to the first-ever EU sanctions on a North Korean official (Minister of State Security Ri Chang Dae) and detention facility, and its findings have driven 9 amendments to UN resolutions. Its work has been cited in 36 official government and UN reports and global media outlets including the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, NRC, and De Telegraaf, and it maintains strategic partnerships with 17+ organizations including the Embassies of Canada and the Netherlands to the Republic of Korea, Global Rights Compliance, Justice Rapid Response, Korea Hana Foundation, and academic institutions (Korea University, Leiden, Seoul Women's, University of Amsterdam, University of Groningen).
Korea Future firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Korea Future
- Legal name
- Korea Future
- Website
- https://koreafuture.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Korea Future is a UK-registered non-profit that documents North Korean human rights violations through survivor interviews, two public databases, and visual investigations, and submits evidence to governments, UN bodies, and sanctions regimes to advance accountability.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Korea Future industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Human Rights Advocacy
- NAICS
- International Affairs (92812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Safeguarding, Accountability & Compliance (ESG, Gender/GBV, Do No Harm) (BPADAEAM)
Keywords
Where Korea Future is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Malden
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Korea Future business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Donations and Grants: As a registered non-profit organization (CIO in England & Wales and ANBI in the Netherlands), Korea Future operates primarily through charitable donations, grants, and institutional funding.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Korea Future product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Korea Future collects, verifies, and analyses information concerning alleged violations of international law in North Korea and, where evidence permits, identifies individuals and institutions that may bear responsibility. It then provides that material to governments, United Nations bodies, and multilateral organisations to inform legal, policy, and accountability processes, while running bilingual public databases (NKPD, NKRF), visual reconstructions, capacity-building programmes for exiles, and targeted legal submissions to sanctions regimes.
Product overview
Korea Future is a non-profit human rights organization that operates a portfolio of interconnected documentation, advocacy, and capacity-building products rather than a unified technology platform. The core products include the North Korean Prison Database (nkpd.io) and North Korean Religious Freedom Database (nkrf.io), which serve as the primary data repositories for human rights violation documentation. These databases are supplemented by Visual Investigations, which provides visual reconstructions of penal facilities using satellite imagery and 3D modelling. The Capacity Building Programme supports North Korean exiles with training in documentation and advocacy, while the Advocacy and Accountability products focus on international engagement and legal accountability measures.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- North Korean Prison Database: The most extensive and credible database of human rights violations in North Korea, providing access to evidence documented in 571 detailed interviews with survivors, witnesses, and former state-affiliated agents.
- North Korean Religious Freedom Database (NKRF)
Products and services
- North Korean Prison Database (NKPD) The most extensive and credible bilingual database of human rights violations in North Korea's penal system, providing free online access to evidence documented in 571 detailed interviews with survivors, witnesses, and former state-affiliated agents. The database contains information on 1,095 individual perpetrators, 9,150 human rights violations, and 1,425 detainees, and serves governments, UN bodies, legal practitioners, and researchers.
- North Korean Religious Freedom Database (NKRF) The most comprehensive public resource dedicated to documenting and preserving evidence of religious freedom violations in North Korea. The database contains 514 documented victims, 195 perpetrators, and 127 mapped locations of religious persecution including detention facilities, interrogation centres, and execution sites, and is freely accessible online.
- Visual Investigations Visual reconstructions of sites of violence in North Korea using 3D modelling, satellite imagery, memory-based diagrams, and survivor testimony. Investigations include reconstructions of the Ryanggang Provincial MSS Holding Centre, North Hamgyong Provincial MPS Holding Centre, and Onsong County MPS Detention Centre, and are published as video documentaries.
- Capacity Building Programme Training programme for North Korean exiles providing knowledge and tools to document human rights violations, preserve evidence, and advocate for accountability. Includes workshops, survivor-centred training, legal case-building, and advocacy guidance; 178+ exiled North Koreans have been trained and 30+ global experts engaged since 2021.
- Advocacy International advocacy efforts driving accountability for human rights violations in North Korea through UN resolutions, policy briefings, legal submissions, and diplomatic engagement. Influenced amendments to multiple UN Human Rights Council resolutions and General Assembly resolutions, and briefed 48 governments and multilateral actors.
- Accountability Advancement of accountability and justice through targeted human rights sanctions regimes, legal submissions, and case file development. Led to EU sanctions on North Korea's Minister of State Security Ri Chang Dae and the Onsong County MSS Detention Centre, the first instance where a civil society organisation's evidence resulted in EU sanctions on a North Korean official or entity for human rights violations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2 North Korean entities sanctioned by the EU as direct result of Korea Future's evidence and advocacy
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Korea Future
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Korea Future technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature3 records
Korea Future partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Connect: North KoreacorePartnership with Connect: North Korea for collaborative work on North Korean human rights issues.
- Embassy of Canada to the Republic of KoreacoreDiplomatic partnership with the Embassy of Canada to the Republic of Korea supporting human rights advocacy.
- Embassy of the Netherlands to the Republic of KoreacoreDiplomatic partnership with the Embassy of the Netherlands to the Republic of Korea supporting human rights advocacy.
- Global Rights CompliancecorePartnership with Global Rights Compliance for legal accountability and compliance work.
- Improving North Korean Human Rights CentercoreCollaboration with Improving North Korean Human Rights Center for capacity building and advocacy.
- Justice Rapid ResponsecorePartnership with Justice Rapid Response for justice and accountability initiatives.
- KDB Future Strategy Research InstituteminorResearch partnership with KDB Future Strategy Research Institute for strategic analysis.
- Korea Hana FoundationcorePartnership with Korea Hana Foundation supporting North Korean human rights initiatives.
- Korea UniversityminorAcademic partnership with Korea University for research and analysis.
- Korea Women's Associations UnitedcorePartnership with Korea Women's Associations United focusing on women's rights in human rights advocacy.
- Leiden UniversitycoreAcademic partnership with Leiden University for research collaboration on North Korean human rights.
- North Korean Defectors Mother and Disabled Support AssociationcoreSupport partnership with North Korean Defectors Mother and Disabled Support Association.
- North Korean Human Rights UnioncorePartnership with North Korean Human Rights Union for advocacy coordination.
- Seoul Women's UniversityminorAcademic partnership with Seoul Women's University for research on women's issues.
- Tongil Moms' AssociationcorePartnership with Tongil Moms' Association for community engagement.
- TongilsomangcorePartnership with Tongilsomang for community support and advocacy.
- University of AmsterdamminorAcademic partnership with University of Amsterdam for research collaboration.
- University of GroningenminorAcademic partnership with University of Groningen for research collaboration.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Korea Future competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- International Crisis Group: International conflict-prevention organization that publishes influential briefings on North Korea and briefs governments/multilateral bodies, adjacent to Korea Future's research-to-policy pathway.
- The 88 Project: North Korean exile-led organization amplifying dissident voices and supporting North Korean human rights activism, with overlapping audience and goals though smaller scope.
Broad incumbents
- Amnesty International: Global human rights NGO with deep North Korea research and UN engagement tradition, comparable in advocacy outputs and target stakeholders but operating across a much broader portfolio of countries.
- Human Rights Watch: Large international human rights organization that publishes widely cited reports on North Korea (among many other countries) and engages in similar UN and government advocacy; Korea Future operates in an overlapping evidence-and-advocacy niche but at a much smaller scale.
Others
- Global Rights Compliance: Law firm specializing in international human rights and sanctions accountability, listed as a Korea Future partner and operating in the same sanctions-designation legal workflow.
- Justice Rapid Response: International mechanism that deploys justice and accountability expertise; listed as a Korea Future partner and operates in the same accountability-and-justice ecosystem for atrocity documentation.
Direct peers
- Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR): Seoul-based NGO focused on North Korean human rights advocacy and refugee engagement, with overlapping target audiences (governments, UN) and comparable documentation and policy activities.
- Connecting North Korea (formerly LINK): North Korean exile-led organization focused on amplifying independent North Korean voices and supporting civil society inside the DPRK, sharing overlapping advocacy and capacity-building missions with Korea Future (and listed as a partner).
- Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB): South Korea-based NGO that maintains a large-scale testimony database of North Korean human rights violations, directly comparable to Korea Future's North Korean Prison Database in both mission and methodology.
- Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK): Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that publishes in-depth reports on North Korean human rights conditions, with a comparable research-intensive, English-language evidence-and-advocacy model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Korea Future social profiles
Digital presenceKorea Future financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Korea Future leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Korea Future funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Korea Future M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Korea Future
What does Korea Future do?
Korea Future collects, verifies, and analyses information concerning alleged violations of international law in North Korea and, where evidence permits, identifies individuals and institutions that may bear responsibility. It then provides that material to governments, United Nations bodies, and multilateral organisations to inform legal, policy, and accountability processes, while running bilingual public databases (NKPD, NKRF), visual reconstructions, capacity-building programmes for exiles, and targeted legal submissions to sanctions regimes.
Is Korea Future a public or private company?
Korea Future is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Korea Future founded?
Korea Future was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Korea Future based?
Korea Future is headquartered in New Malden, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Korea Future make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable Donations and Grants.
Who are Korea Future's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are International Crisis Group and The 88 Project. Broad incumbents are Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Others are Global Rights Compliance and Justice Rapid Response. Direct peers are Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR), Connecting North Korea (formerly LINK), Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) and Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK).
Does Korea Future have an API?
No public API is recorded for Korea Future.
What industry is Korea Future in?
Korea Future's product category is Human Rights Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAGAK, Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPADAEAM, Safeguarding, Accountability & Compliance (ESG, Gender/GBV, Do No Harm). Its NAICS code is 92812.