By Eleanor Yoon, NKHR Volunteer and Intern

On Wednesday September 3, 2014, the NKHR Rescue Fund held a fun night of trivia, raffle and Q&A with North Korean escapee and activist Yeonmi Park. Hosted at the awesome Phillies Pub in Haebangchon, the event was a great opportunity to reach out to a new crowd and raise funds in a fun and casual setting. 

Yeonmi Park began the night by sharing her compelling story with the audience. Yeonmi, who escaped North Korea in 2007 and arrived in South Korea through China and Mongolia two years later, now lives in Seoul and has been actively engaged in raising awareness of North Korean human rights violations by giving speeches in both Korean and English, participating in a television program “Now on My Way to Meet You” and co-hosting the “Casey Lartigue Show with Yeonmi Park”, a podcast program. After listening to her powerful story, the crowd participated in a trivia game. All the 60 questions were written about topics related to North Korea, such as North Korean defectors, history and food, and they provided an opportunity for people to learn more about the country. The first and second place winners were announced at the end of the night and were awarded prizes donated by the generous Phillies Pub.

Thanks to your generous contributions, the NKHR Rescue Fund raised 815,000 KRW or $800 in total! We would like to thank everyone who came to the event and showed support for North Korean refugees. We would also like to thank Yeonmi Park for joining us, and Phillies Pub for the space, the delicious food for our hungry volunteers, and the generous prize donations.  For great food and great company, be sure to check out them out!  

There will be many exciting events planned throughout the remainder of the year to meet our goal of raising $15,000 to save 6 North Korean refugees and help them reach South Korea safely. Keep up-to-date on our blog and Facebook page (NKHR Rescue Fund). We look forward to seeing you at our next event!

Join the Rescue Fund on Wednesday, September 3rd, for a fun night of trivia and Q&A with North Korean escapee and activist Yeon Mi Park.  Hope to see everyone there!