Running to Help Defectors Escape to Safety

Founded in 1996, Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR) is one of the oldest organizations devoted to North Korean human rights. Their work involves rescuing North Korean defectors who have escaped to China and resettlement programs in South Korea.

After having escaped North Korea, defectors in China face the threat of repatriation to back to North Korea where they may be imprisoned, tortured, and/or executed. Forced to live in hiding, North Korean refugees, especially women, can fall victim to sex trafficking and exploitation. It costs approximately $2500 USD to rescue one person and bring him or her safely to South Korea. Those doing the actual rescuing risk significant jail terms if caught. Here are NKHR's main links:
http://www.nkhrrescuefund.org/
https://www.facebook.com/NKHRRescueFund
http://eng.nkhumanrights.or.kr

For insights into the challenges and risks of rescuing North Korean defectors in China, please explore Ann Shin's moving documentary "The Defector":
http://www.thedefectormovie.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsGv1jDD1rg

I will be running a half marathon in Seoul on June 14, 2015 to raise money for NKHR's rescue fund. My goal is to raise $500, but I would love to surpass that. Anything you donate will be highly appreciated. For more information about the event, please read this account by Gabrielle Nygaard who ran last year: https://gabibimbap.wordpress.com/tag/kim-dae-jung-peace-marathon/

About me:
I have been living in South Korea since 2003 where my interest in cults and totalitarian regimes blossomed after encounters with some of Korea's most destructive cults. Those experiences led me to create a site dedicated to the subject: www.jmscult.com. My interest in cults has enabled me to help numerous people break free of such groups. One of Australia's national broadcasters, SBS, interviewed me and Sarah, a woman I helped to leave one of Korea's most notorious cults: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11K8R8kmwtM

Observing cults within South Korea naturally led to an interest in North Korea. Since moving to Seoul from Daegu two years ago, I've had the honor of attending several presentations by defectors and authors. Hearing their stories in person motivated me to volunteer to assist where possible. I volunteer as a teacher and speech coach for a different volunteer organisation: Teach North Korean Refugees. I was briefly interviewed about that organisation by the Korea Joongang Daily: http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3002475

Two of my students (Sharon and Ken) were recently interviewed by the Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3089313/North-Korean-refugee-forced-work-coal-reveals-journey.html

And they appeared in this Aljazeera report:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsdzNJsIfEk

If you're curious to see how my training is progressing, I'll be documenting my half-marathon training on my personal website: http://peterdaley.net/home/category/fitness/

June's not the best time of year to run a half marathon (it'll be hot!), but I'm hoping the excellent cause the race supports will keep me motivated both before and during the race. Please consider supporting this worthy cause.

Thank you for reading.

Peter Daley