Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB):
Request for Solidarity and Support
For more than seven decades, the North Korean people have endured one of the most repressive regimes in modern history. The government systematically suppresses fundamental freedoms and enforces its rule through fear, using torture, forced labor, and public executions to maintain absolute control. Michael Kirby, Chair of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK, called North Korea’s human rights abuses “unparalleled in the contemporary world.”
The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB), along with other NGOs, have fought tirelessly to document the regime’s crimes, advocate for justice, and support the survivors who have risked everything to escape. Since the 1990s, 35,000 North Koreans have successfully fled North Korea, bravely sharing their stories. Meanwhile, millions remain trapped in unimaginable oppression. Since COVID-19, the situation has only gotten worse, with the fortification of North Korea’s border with China cutting off a vital escape route.
At this critical moment, when the need for action has never been greater, the North Korean human rights movement is facing an existential threat. A sudden and severe reduction in international funding, including from the United States, has put the entire movement at risk. Some NGOs have already been forced to lay off key personnel and end life-changing aid for victims. At NKDB, we are deeply concerned that without urgent support, we may no longer be able to document human rights abuses, provide psychological services to victims, or educate the public about the ongoing crisis.
We urgently ask for your support. Whether big or small, your contribution can help sustain this fight for justice. Against the world’s most closed country and repressive regime, every voice, every action, and every contribution matter. Together, we can ensure that North Korean human rights remain on the global agenda—and that those who have suffered are never forgotten.
1. Our Work Until Now
Since we were established in 2003, our organization, the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB), has consistently documented human rights violations committed in North Korea, managing the world’s largest repository of this kind. While we began as a documentation organization, we have expanded our work to better serve the needs of the victim community, providing legal, psychological, and social assistance to North Korean escapees resettled in South Korea.
- Uncovering the Truth: Based on the testimonies of over 20,000 North Korean escapees, we have gathered and analyzed over 87,000 cases of human rights abuses committed by the North Korean state. This documentation work serves as one of the only sources of information on the human rights reality of North Korea, the world’s most closed country.
- Directly Assisting Victims: Our psychological counselors and social workers have provided psychosocial assistance, including counseling and case management, for survivors of torture that took place in North Korea’s political prison camps and other detention facilities. We also provide legal support to victims in search of legal accountability for the human rights abuses they’ve suffered.
- Raising Awareness Worldwide: We have helped bring global attention to North Korean human rights by providing educational opportunities to the general public and engaging with the United Nations bodies, diplomats, foreign press, and international NGOs. Our academies, museum exhibition, and statements at the UN are only a few examples of our awareness-raising efforts. As a result of our advocacy, we have held special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 2023.
2. The Current Crisis Impacting Our Community
Our organization, along with other members of the North Korean human rights community, are at risk of closing down our operations due to unexpected cuts in the U.S. government funding. If we are unable to receive civil society support, we will soon be left with no choice but to take one or more of the following drastic measures:
(1) The Reduction of the Number of Victims We Interview
- Without your support, we cannot reach as many victims as we did before. We may reduce the number of human rights analysts, and our analysts may conduct fewer interviews and meetings with victims.
- We may no longer host briefings for diplomats, journalists, and other key players in global advocacy.
- This would impact our ability to monitor the human rights conditions faced by the North Korean people, and our ability to convey the voices of the victim community.
(2) The Reduction of Our Counseling Services for Victims of Torture and Human Trafficking
- Without your support, we cannot provide adequate psychosocial support for victims of torture and human trafficking. We may reduce the number of 1:1 counseling sessions, cancel our healing camps, and suspend the publication of storybooks written by victims in recovery.
- This would impact our ability to help victims recover from trauma and lead successful lives upon their resettlement in South Korea.
(3) The Closure of South Korea’s Only North Korean Human Rights Exhibition
- Without your support, we may close down our “The Echo Never Stops” exhibition—currently the only physical memorial on North Korean human rights in South Korea. This space has provided solace to North Korean victims, educated South Korean citizens and international visitors, and facilitated discussions among diplomats and policymakers.
- Its closure would be a major setback to the North Korean human rights community, as it would eliminate a key platform for illuminating victims’ stories and engaging the interest of the global community. Moreover, it would also undermine our long-term vision of building a large-scale North Korean human rights museum.
(4) The Downsizing of NKDB’s Education Center for Korean Integration
- Without your support, we may suspend the educational programs operated by our Education Center for Korean Integration. Our Education Center for Korean Integration has educated over 2,700 students, providing the South Korean public the opportunity to study North Korean human rights, diplomacy on inter-Korean relations and potential unification, and other crucial topics.
- This would impact our ability to promote awareness of North Korean human rights, especially among the younger generations of the South Korean public. Awareness-raising is integral to sustaining the North Korean human rights movement across generations.
3. A Spotlight on NKDB’s Past Donors
Amid the growing need for civil society support, we sincerely thank the 2,023 individuals and 162 corporations who have generously donated to our organization in the past. Your contributions have enabled us to publish our annual White Paper on North Korean Human Rights, provide legal and psychosocial support to victims, and carry out other critical initiatives.
However, recent shifts in the global political landscape have led to significant cuts in government funding, making civil society support more crucial than ever. Your continued support is essential in ensuring that our vital work can continue uninterrupted.
4. A Call for Action to Strengthen Solidarity
We are keenly aware that our organization is not alone in facing the impact of recent cuts to overseas funding. Our fellow North Korean human rights organizations and NGOs advocating for essential causes worldwide are also at risk of shutting down operations that are crucial to protecting fundamental human rights.
We firmly believe that human rights should never be compromised by political agendas—their protection is a universal imperative that affects lives across all borders.
In response, we are working to build a global network of NGOs, academics, lawyers, engineers, artists, and professionals from all fields to sustain the North Korean human rights movement and support human rights advocacy worldwide.
But we cannot do this alone. We invite you to stand with us.
Voices & Evidence Accelerator (~5/10) Campaign
May 10th marks the 22nd anniversary of NKDB’s founding. As we approach May 10th, we find ourselves at a critical juncture, in the face of critical decisions threatening the survival of our organization and work. However, with your support, we believe that we can overcome this unprecedented challenge and continue our work on North Korean human rights. Join us for our campaign leading up to May 10th!
"Voices" → Voices of the Victims of North Korean Human Rights Abuses
"Evidence" → Collection and Analysis of North Korean Human Rights Records
"Accelerator" → The Community Who Make It All Possible
Individual Support
- Donate to Directly Support Our Work
- With the price of one cup of coffee, you can help us sustain this cause.
- Donate to help our activists continue working.
- Donate to help us afford our educational programs.
- Donate to help us keep our museum exhibition.
- Donate to help us provide essential services to victims.
Donate to NKDB : Shinhan Bank / Account Number: 140-010-048898 / Account Holder: (사) 북한인권정보센터 후원회
- Stay Updated & Spread the News
- Subscribe to our newsletter. (Our goal is to get 510 new subscribers by May 10th!)
- Follow our social media and reshare our posts.
- Read and share storybooks written by victims who receive our counselling services.
- Learn More Through Our Exhibition & Reports
- Visit our museum exhibition “The Echo Never Stops” and leave messages of support. (Our goal is to receive 510 new visitors by May 10th!)
- Inform others about “The Echo Never Stops” museum and online Larchiveum.
- Support North Korean Human Rights activists.
- Read and share our publications (Hard copies are available for purchase.)
Corporate/Institutional Support
- Sponsor our work through donations.
- Provide venues for free to support our academies, seminars, and exhibitions.
- Request lectures for your group to help raise awareness for North Korean human rights.
To make a donation, please contact the following: NKDB Donation Team
Email: info@nkdb.org (English)
Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB):
Request for Solidarity and Support
For more than seven decades, the North Korean people have endured one of the most repressive regimes in modern history. The government systematically suppresses fundamental freedoms and enforces its rule through fear, using torture, forced labor, and public executions to maintain absolute control. Michael Kirby, Chair of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK, called North Korea’s human rights abuses “unparalleled in the contemporary world.”
The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB), along with other NGOs, have fought tirelessly to document the regime’s crimes, advocate for justice, and support the survivors who have risked everything to escape. Since the 1990s, 35,000 North Koreans have successfully fled North Korea, bravely sharing their stories. Meanwhile, millions remain trapped in unimaginable oppression. Since COVID-19, the situation has only gotten worse, with the fortification of North Korea’s border with China cutting off a vital escape route.
At this critical moment, when the need for action has never been greater, the North Korean human rights movement is facing an existential threat. A sudden and severe reduction in international funding, including from the United States, has put the entire movement at risk. Some NGOs have already been forced to lay off key personnel and end life-changing aid for victims. At NKDB, we are deeply concerned that without urgent support, we may no longer be able to document human rights abuses, provide psychological services to victims, or educate the public about the ongoing crisis.
We urgently ask for your support. Whether big or small, your contribution can help sustain this fight for justice. Against the world’s most closed country and repressive regime, every voice, every action, and every contribution matter. Together, we can ensure that North Korean human rights remain on the global agenda—and that those who have suffered are never forgotten.
1. Our Work Until Now
Since we were established in 2003, our organization, the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB), has consistently documented human rights violations committed in North Korea, managing the world’s largest repository of this kind. While we began as a documentation organization, we have expanded our work to better serve the needs of the victim community, providing legal, psychological, and social assistance to North Korean escapees resettled in South Korea.
2. The Current Crisis Impacting Our Community
Our organization, along with other members of the North Korean human rights community, are at risk of closing down our operations due to unexpected cuts in the U.S. government funding. If we are unable to receive civil society support, we will soon be left with no choice but to take one or more of the following drastic measures:
(1) The Reduction of the Number of Victims We Interview
(2) The Reduction of Our Counseling Services for Victims of Torture and Human Trafficking
(3) The Closure of South Korea’s Only North Korean Human Rights Exhibition
(4) The Downsizing of NKDB’s Education Center for Korean Integration
3. A Spotlight on NKDB’s Past Donors
Amid the growing need for civil society support, we sincerely thank the 2,023 individuals and 162 corporations who have generously donated to our organization in the past. Your contributions have enabled us to publish our annual White Paper on North Korean Human Rights, provide legal and psychosocial support to victims, and carry out other critical initiatives.
However, recent shifts in the global political landscape have led to significant cuts in government funding, making civil society support more crucial than ever. Your continued support is essential in ensuring that our vital work can continue uninterrupted.
4. A Call for Action to Strengthen Solidarity
We are keenly aware that our organization is not alone in facing the impact of recent cuts to overseas funding. Our fellow North Korean human rights organizations and NGOs advocating for essential causes worldwide are also at risk of shutting down operations that are crucial to protecting fundamental human rights.
We firmly believe that human rights should never be compromised by political agendas—their protection is a universal imperative that affects lives across all borders.
In response, we are working to build a global network of NGOs, academics, lawyers, engineers, artists, and professionals from all fields to sustain the North Korean human rights movement and support human rights advocacy worldwide.
But we cannot do this alone. We invite you to stand with us.
Voices & Evidence Accelerator (~5/10) Campaign
May 10th marks the 22nd anniversary of NKDB’s founding. As we approach May 10th, we find ourselves at a critical juncture, in the face of critical decisions threatening the survival of our organization and work. However, with your support, we believe that we can overcome this unprecedented challenge and continue our work on North Korean human rights. Join us for our campaign leading up to May 10th!
"Voices" → Voices of the Victims of North Korean Human Rights Abuses
"Evidence" → Collection and Analysis of North Korean Human Rights Records
"Accelerator" → The Community Who Make It All Possible
Individual Support
Donate to NKDB : Shinhan Bank / Account Number: 140-010-048898 / Account Holder: (사) 북한인권정보센터 후원회
Corporate/Institutional Support
To make a donation, please contact the following: NKDB Donation Team
Email: info@nkdb.org (English)