Each September, the George W. Bush Institute welcomes North Korean escapees to Dallas for a multi-day gathering aimed at helping participants develop their leadership and advocacy skills. At this year’s third annual North Korean Human Rights Workshop, a group of 12 North Korean escapees participated in powerful sessions with leaders and activists, including Ambassador Julie Turner, the U.S. Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues.
This year’s gathering comes ahead of the 20th anniversary of the North Korean Human Rights Act. Signed into law by President George W. Bush on Oct. 18, 2004, the act aims to provide humanitarian assistance to those living in North Korea and humanitarian and legal assistance to those who have escaped the hermit kingdom.
Joseph Kim, Research Fellow at the Bush Institute and founder of the workshop — who was one of the first North Korean escapees to come to the U.S. under the North Korean Human Rights Act — said the goal of the gathering is to equip North Koreans with knowledge and skills to “help them not only reach their potentials but also help them to become the next generation of leaders dedicated for the cause of [a] free North Korea.”
Many workshop participants are recipients of the Bush Institute’s Lindsay Lloyd North Korea Freedom Scholarship, which helps North Korean escapees and their children pursue higher education and build productive, prosperous lives. To date, nearly $350,000 has been awarded in the form of 84 scholarships. Learn about this year’s recipients.
In addition to supporting North Korean refugees living in the U.S., the Bush Institute supports policies aimed at stopping the horrific human rights violations occurring within North Korea. In 2023, the Bush Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies released a policy paper urging the administration, Congress, the international community, and the United Nations to take action to weaken China and Russia’s ability to facilitate North Korea’s human rights abuses. Read the report here.
