Minnie Mills Instagram – (2/3) Yesterday was #WorldRefugeeDay and in honor of that I wanted to highlight one of @libertyinnorthkorea ‘s 2024 advocacy fellows, and someone that I have the honor of knowing, Grace Kang. I met Grace a few months ago and I was deeply inspired by her passion for spreading awareness about and giving back to the North Korean people. After arriving in South Korea, Grace pursued a degree in Nursing Science and became an OR nurse. She is now the founder and CEO of “For Legacy”, a startup that allows North Korean refugees to memorialize and remember loved ones that have passed or are still in North Korea.
The Arduous March was a period where millions of North Koreans starved to death due to severe famine, forcing many to cross into China in search of food or work. While in China North Koreans have no rights– as citizens, refugees, or people– and if caught they are forcibly repatriated to North Korea where they face severe punishment in political labor camps, most of the time receiving life sentences not only for themselves, but 3 generations of their family. This danger is particularly prevalent if one is caught trying to escape further out of China into Mongolia or Southeast Asia– a clear sign of seeking freedom, which is a grave political crime.
When Grace’s family’s escape route was exposed, the broker they paid to help them escape abandoned them at a bus stop forcing them to try and continue the journey without guidance. With no route and no protection they were caught by the Chinese border patrol. After her mother was subjected to long hours of torture and interrogation, the rest of her family was sent back to North Korea, leaving her alone in China at 11 years old. Unlike many, Grace’s story fortunately has a happy ending. After 3 years she was reunited with her mother and grandmother, she says that “seeing my mother and grandmother again was, and still is, the greatest gift I have ever received. They are the reason I am here today.”
To read more stories like Grace’s, learn more about @libertyinnorthkorea, or donate to help facilitate the escape of more North Koreans please visit the link in my bio.
Illustrations/graphics: me | Posted on 21/Jun/2024 18:56:43
