On behalf of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, and especially its North Korean defector members, I am pleased to announce the theme and dates for the 18th Annual North Korea Freedom Week which will be held April 25 - May lst, 2021/(April 24-30 for DC Scheduling). This year's theme will be OPEN! North Korea -- open hearts, open minds, and open borders. Nearly all events will be held virtually and our plan is to especially offer an opportunity for the North Korean escapees to explore those topics. We normally would be hosting a large group of North Korean escapees in Washington, D.C. for NKFW this year, but because of ongoing travel restrictions we are going to showcase these brave men and women by hosting virtual events with and for them.
We have been reaching out to organizations that have hosted events in the past during North Korea Freedom Week and are working with the defectors on the best way to schedule things to maximize participation.
It is critically important especially during these times of the Moon administration in South Korea to keep the human rights situation in North Korea at the forefront. So here are some of the themes that will be explored during NKFW 2021:
Open hearts...let the North Koreans know how much the world cares about them by highlighting the work of so many international leaders that have led efforts to advance NK HR...what needs to be done to improve their circumstances
Open minds...what led North Koreans to open their minds to outside world and how can we do more of that! how to best get information into North Korea
Open borders...how can humanitarian aid be provided in a way that actually helps the vulnerable population especially children and does not end up aiding the Kim regime as has happened in the past...how can divided families be united...how can families communicate
So, with that in mind, here is now the schedule is shaping up:
Sunday, April 25 (Saturday night in USA) will be an opening prayer service in Seoul which we hope folks in the USA will be able to attend virtually. We have requested that the organizers consider having this at 9 AM Sunday so we can join on Saturday night 8 pm
Monday will be an opening ceremony in Seoul for which we will be sending virtual messages.
Our plan is to have NGO panels alternating during the time frames of 5-7 pm EST and 7-9 pm EST on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
April 28th, Wednesday, anniversary of the first North Korea Freedom Day, will be once again set aside for an International Day of Prayer and Fasting for North Korea's FREEDOM.
We are considering opening our Thursday night 7-9 pm EST North Korea Freedom Coalition to the general public and take on for discussion one of the NKFW themes. If you have not yet been to an NKFC meeting, you'll love this group!
On Friday there will be a closing ceremony - Saturday morning in Seoul.
If we do not have some positive news soon about the North Korean refugees currently detained in China, we will organize a demonstration on Friday to save their lives. This time it is not likely to be at the Chinese embassy but at another location to hold those responsible for this ongoing tragedy.
As more plans are finalized, we will send updates, but we do hope you will make plans to participate in NKFW 2021 wherever you are and consider these upcoming dates.
Acta Non Verba,
Suzanne