Dharma currently teaches at an all-boys middle school in Gumi, South Korea. A rural town in the middle of the country, Gumi is a far cry from her West Coast roots. When she's not teaching or volunteering with her North Korean students, Dharma dives into one of her other many passions: ultimate frisbee. Check out how she came to support R4R's cause below.






Why did you start volunteering with North Korean defectors? 
I started volunteering with North Korean defectors after developing a deep interest in North Korea and its politics as an International Affairs Major in college. It was a part of the world that so little was known about, and yet thoroughly vilified. This seemed like a disconnect to me, and sparked my interest in learning more about North Korea. 

What has been the most significant part of your volunteering experience? 
The friendships I have developed with my North Korean students. Our friendships have humanized a situation that before I had only read about in textbooks and newspapers. It was incredibly eye-opening to move beyond media speculation, political rhetoric, and distanced academic breakdowns of North Korea, and to actually meet people for whom this country had been home. For them, it is a place countless childhood memories were rooted, where milestones and holidays were celebrated, and where their families had often lived for centuries.

How much did you know about North Korea before coming to South Korea?
Before coming to South Korea, my knowledge of the North Korean Regime was perhaps more extensive than some, but it still remained largely a mystery. I had read news, familiarized myself with the basic history and regime structure of the North, but was fairly unaware to the humanitarian aspect of the situation.

How has your understanding of the North Korean issue changed since working with North Korean defectors?
My understanding of the North Korean issue has been completely transformed since working with North Korean defectors. It is an international issue that has become deeply personal. It is no longer a distant country, but my not so distant neighbor. However, more importantly it is the home of my friends. Friends who I have laughed with, worked with, shared meals and holidays with. A home they have risked their lives to escape from, often times separating them from family members they may never see again. If I have learned anything worth sharing from my work with defectors, it is that this situation is complex, largely misunderstood, and too often so sensationalized that the real issues at stake remain in the shadows. 

Why are you Running 4 Resettlement?
I am running because there is still so much work left to be accomplished. The transition to living in a foreign country takes time and resources, and I would like refugees to have access to as many of these resources as possible. They have already risked so much, and worked so hard, and there will be plenty of obstacles left to tackle. However, if I can help in even a small way to make this transition easier, I would like to do so.

Jason currently teaches English at a high school in Gongju, South Korea. When he's not teaching or volunteering, Jason enjoys hiking, fencing, and shenanigans. He  hails from the great state of Maine.








Why did you start volunteering with North Korean defectors? 
I decided to volunteer because I wanted to connect with someone different from me. Cultural exchange ultimately comes down to two people talking, and that's what I was interested in.

What has been the most significant part of your volunteering experience? 
The most profound experiences are often quite ordinary. For me, it was the way my students stopped being North Korean defectors in my mind and became ordinary people who are nevertheless extraordinary in their own ways. There was a moment when one little boy crooked a finger and whispered that he knew Chinese from when he was passing through China. He said it with pride, but his older sister shushed him. Their stories — some happy, many sad — did so much to let me understand who they were as people, not merely as defectors.

How much did you know about North Korea before coming to South Korea?
I knew pretty much what the Western media chooses to portray, so to me North Korea was a belligerent threat and its people were to be pitied. I don’t mean to say that North Korea doesn't have its share of problems, but pity has a way of dehumanizing people by casting them as passive victims. 

How has your understanding of the North Korean issue changed since working with North Korean defectors? One day, a little boy drew a picture of me stepping on a landmine. It shocked me, but when we sat down and talked about it — and when he saw that it hurt me — there was this light bulb moment. That picture was never personal. It was simply what Americans are supposed to be doing when you draw pictures of them, taking propaganda as your guide. But all of that was defused so quickly when he saw that it bothered me. Once you recognize the humanity in another person, however different, connecting with them is inevitable.

Why are you Running 4 Resettlement?
The idea that all of the defectors who make it to South Korea live happily ever after – that's not a reality. It's important to look beyond the 'exciting' part of helping defectors, which is the drama of their travels out of North Korea, through China and finally to South Korea. I think the truth — that society often isn't permeable to defectors upon entry – is hard because it asks us (and native South Koreans) to take a hard look what needs to change for reunification to be possible.

I'm Running 4 Resettlement because I think resettlement is the half of the battle, and it doesn't receive enough attention. I want my NKD friends to have more than the minimum. Like anyone, they deserve to thrive.

Jooyang is the director of Public Relations at an international NGO that focuses mainly on North Korea. She is also a research and strategy intern at another international NGO that focuses on rescuing and resettling North Korean refugees. Other than that, she works through various media channels to promote understanding of the reality of North Korea. 


Having escaped from North Korea herself, Jooyang considers her job a calling. She believes that the impact of one person may not be significant, but that North Korean refugees working together, using the power of media, can have a huge influence in shedding light on the real North Korean crisis.   

Earlier this year, Jooyang flew to India to give a speech at the Asia Liberty Forum. Her speech, chronicling her life in North Korea, her escape, and reuniting with her family in South Korea, is truly incredible to read. Click to read more.

Born and raised in Chongjin, the capital of North Hamgyong Province in North Korea, Jooyang and her family escaped in 2011 after ten years of preparation. Optimistic and passionate, Jooyang advocates for North Korean human rights across various South Korean media outlets. Here's a peek into her story:

I decided to flee from North Korea after secretly listening to the radio. I learned that there was a different world from North Korea, a world where people could speak their minds and enjoy freedom. 

South Korea was even more amazing than I imagined. Everything was new, interesting, and it made me worried about adjusting to my new surroundings. The ability to speak the language certainly helped. 

For me, the most fascinating aspects of South Korea were its public transportation and banking system. I could not believe that machines talked and guided people. But everything wasn't so good and comfortable. Every industry, business, and organization uses advanced computer programs and technology that is different from North Korea, where people do everything manually with their own two hands. 

So it was difficult to adjust and I realized that South Korea is a tough society where people have to work hard and challenge themselves because without competency, you can get fired. I didn't experience it personally, but a friend of mine got fired from her workplace. It was shocking news and an opportunity to reflect on myself. 
 
My life is great, but if there is one difficult thing, I think getting into a university and choosing a career is difficult. It is difficult to enter a university without having received standard education. The high school education that I received in North Korea has been accredited by the South Korean government, but there are many things that I have to prepare to enter college in South Korea. This has made me think about the need to create a customized education or a set of guidelines for North Korean refugees who wish to go to university. 

...stay tuned to our site to hear more from Jooyang in the future!

*This excerpt was translated from Korean into English by a Korean volunteer.

Hey everyone, Liam and Eric here to offer up some tech advice for your running regimens.
 
Eric: Over the last few years, I've used a handful of apps and websites during training.  Whether it's a 10K in Central Park or a full-marathon in Seoul, I've always needed a reliable tool to measure my training mileage. There are a ton of useful resources out there for runners in training, but over the last few months I've mainly used Sports Tracker. 

Sports Tracker is a free app available on Android and iOS that comes with a fairly accurate GPS tracker. Whenever I go for a run or a ride (yep, you can choose from a handful of exercise types), I turns on Sports Tracker to keep track of current mileage, pace, and calorie loss. After the workout is over I save and sync it, automatically storing it onto my Sports Tracker account that’s available online. It’s really cool to see how many miles I can record in a week, month, etc.!

Liam: As for me, apps have played a pretty minimal role in my running history. That said, Map My Run has been a consistent go-to website for pre/post-workout info. Map My Run allows you to, well, map your run. Simple, right? You can track mileage, discover loops that meet your thirst for distance or elevation, or search for user posted routes in your neighborhood. It's a great way to explore different options beyond the treadmill and avoid getting caught up with dead ends or wasted sessions.

While everyone has different preferences and expectations, there are apps for just about all styles. From 'laissez-faire' to in-your-ear motivation, and from mileage trackers to couch-to-5k training programs, a little searching and experimenting will help you find that new best friend for the pavement-pounding expeditions. Curious to learn more? Start here to learn about a few of the top apps in the running world.

Happy Running!
Coach Liam and Eric

Originally from Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province, Younghee graduated from medical school in North Korea. After spending many months in China, she came to South Korea about a decade ago. She is one of the most earnest, diligent, and sincere individuals I have ever met. I burst with pride whenever I get to say she is a friend of mine. Check out some of her thoughts on arriving in South Korea below.  -- Eric Horvath

EH: Were you shocked by South Korea when you first saw it? 
Younghee: It wasn’t shocking for me, actually! During my time in China, I knew South Korea had so many buildings and cars, so I expected this a little. I learned these things from the Korean dramas I watched and the books that I read in China.

EH: When you first arrived in South Korea, what was the most difficult situation for you to handle?
Younghee: For me, my North Korean accent caused me a lot of stress.* But the most difficult thing, besides hiding my accent, was to gain the trust of South Koreans. I think the way to get people’s trust is to increase my personal abilities and prove that I am sincere. Now I don’t have to hide my accent, or the fact that I’m from North Korea, because the people I work with believe in me and don’t care about my past.

EH: You’ve lived in South Korea for over ten years now. Do you feel completely adjusted? 
Younghee: These days, I work at an accounting firm. My boss tells me that I look well-adjusted, but sometimes I still face difficulties with South Korean life. But now, after many years of living here with the support of the government, volunteers, and my own hard work, I learned how to solve the difficult situations. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have in South Korea!

*After more than 60 years of division, North and South Korea have developed fairly distinct accents. The North Korean accent easily marks defectors as foreigners.

These responses were written entirely by Younghee. Minor edits were made for clarity.

Our own "Coach Liam" is here with a training schedule to get anyone from the couch to 5K in just 6 short weeks! 

Wooridul School, located in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, is an alternative school with the goal of helping North Korean defectors integrate into South Korean society and succeed in the South's challenging academic environment. This interview provides a glimpse into the amazing work done by Wooridul School teachers, staff, and students. For more information, please visit their Korean-language website at http://wooridulschool.org/.


What was the motivation behind the founding of Wooridul School?
Several years ago, we met a North Korean teenager who wanted to go to college but lacked the ability to do so. Wooridul School all started because a few teachers wanted to help this one North Korean teenager receive the proper education she deserved. 

After the teachers saw an article about North Korean defectors and heard North Korean students talk about the difficulties they faced adapting to South Korea, we couldn't ignore the issue any longer. It gave us all the extra motivation we needed to start Wooridul School.

How difficult was founding the school? What was it like in the beginning?
In the beginning, the most difficult thing was our limited financial resources. Since we provide all education and materials for free, sometimes it can be a little difficult to make ends meet. Thankfully, we have wonderful supporters like Running 4 Resettlement to help us and our students!

For students who attend Wooridul School, what is the purpose of attending your school?
Our students study at Wooridul School because they have very low education and are not ready to work or study at the university level, despite oftentimes being over 20 years old. 

Wooridul School does not discriminate against anyone. We give equal opportunities to all North Korean Defectors who want to study regardless of their age and/or nationality (The South Korean government does not provide the same assistance to North Korean defectors with Chinese nationality as they do for North Korean defectors).

What are your students like?
Our students are motivated to study! They have a strong commitment towards the goal of success and a good set of ethics (i.e., respect for their teachers).

One of our former students escaped from North Korea four years ago, on her own. As soon as she was able to in South Korea, she started working to earn money. She worked in a convenience store non-stop for three years without any break. She did this because she needed to pay off her debt (accrued for her defection). She also wanted to send as much money as she could to her family in North Korea. But now, she is finally studying! She just started her first year at university this spring.

What are things that your students struggle with, both academically and in adjusting to South Korea?
A lot of our students say they struggle with English. As you know, English is very hard for non-native speakers, but since North Koreans (unlike South Koreans) don’t have exposure to English in their lives, it is extra difficult for them to catch up after they resettle here.

Our students also think the cost of living in South Korea is very hard. It is too high for most of them to live comfortable lives.

How can we (foreigners, South Koreans, etc.) improve the lives of North Koreans living in South Korea? 
It’s important to change the public’s understanding of our students and the North Korean people. Our students need to feel trust and real love from other people, like from teachers, parents, and volunteers. We should always be thinking, “How can we be friends?” and “How can we show our love for each other?”

Of course, our students are unique. But at the same time, they’re also not. They’re ordinary people and we want nothing more than for them to feel that way about themselves. After school, our students work part-time jobs to earn pocket money or watch movies and play computer games for fun. They are just like any other kids in the world.

We believe that North Korean defectors will help Korea one day be unified. ^^

Thank you for your support,
Wooridul Staff

*The content of this article was written entirely by Wooridul School staff. Minor edits were made for clarity.

Originally from Pyongyang, Jack, a teenage North Korean Defector, has unbelievably nuanced opinions on North Korean politics. During our first meeting, Jack, freshly out of Hanawon, spoke sharply about Jang Song-thaek (NK's former #2 who was assassinated last fall) and North Korean economics. He came to South Korea, via Thailand, only last fall. Here’s a glimpse into his life:

Last year I defected from North Korea after crossing the Aprok river into China. After China I traveled through Laos and Thailand. We had to walk for six hours in the mountains between China and Laos. It was so difficult. I never want to think about it again.

After I arrived in South Korea, I went to Hanawon. At Hanawon I studied English and math with other North Koreans. Because they didn’t study in North Korea (I studied English for five years) and they didn’t know middle school math, I studied alone in an advanced class.

When I first came to Seoul I didn’t know what to do. But thanks to the many volunteers in Seoul, I was able to adjust to South Korean life.

The most important thing for me is learning. I tried to find some schools to study at but I failed because I didn't know anything about South Korean history. So, like at Hanawon, I decided to study on my own.

I came to South Korea to study in a great university. Most North Korean students don’t study hard, but I have always studied very hard, since I was in primary school. I'll study hard every day so that I can major in electronics at the highest university. After I graduate from university, I will make many good inventions for people around the world.

I have not been in South Korea for very long, so my story is short. But thank you for reading my article and I’ll write more soon!

*All content was written by Jack himself. Minimal edits and revisions were made for clarity.