History of PSCORE

Ever since its establishment in 2006, PSCORE has always strived to make awareness about North Korean’s defectors. Check out the highlights of our work.

2023

January

Presented at the Conference on the human rights of women and girls in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

February

Hosted the second Model UN Strategic Framework Conference (ModelUNSF 2023)

March

Participated in the UN Human Rights Council and held a North Korea Human Rights Campaign

April

Organized a session between a North Korean defector and students from Peace And True Rights of DPRK (PATRON)

Head of the UN OHCHR James Heenan visited our office and met with PSCORE members

Visited the french embassy in Seoul

Submission of North Korean Human Rights-Related Report to CEDAW and UPR Russia

May

Workshop at the Seoul International School

Organized the Youth Global seminar in collaboration with The Asiatic Research Institute of Korea University and North Korean Human Rights

Visit of the DMZ to raise awareness on North Korean human rights, children's rights, food shortage and missile tests

June

Releasing a new report on the Internet Freedom in North Korea: digital Hostages

A presentation on the corresponding report was held at the RightsCon

July

Speech event with a north korean defector with Korea University Summer school

70th year of armistice international youth work shop

Submission of North Korean Human Rights-Related Report to UPR China

Throughout the year

Education Support Program for North Korean Defector Students/Unification Specialist Educators

Operation of Internship Program for Foreign Youth

2022

January

Hosted a virtual lecture on the implementation of SDG's in North Korea with Mr. Oh Joon, the 71st President of ECOSOC

Hosted Model UN Strategic Framework Conference (ModelUNSF 2022)

March

Hosted a Webinar on Digital Human Rights in North Korea

President Kim Tae-Hoon made an oral statement for the 49th session of the Human Rights Council

April

The team of PSCORE took a campaign trip to Baengnyeongdo

May

Started to offer computer programming classes to NK children of defector

July

Hosted an event with Korea University

Campaign trip to Gwangju (Seminars in Gwangju university, Gwangju central street Campaign)

August

Hosted the Model United Nations for Successful Corean Reunification (MUNSCR)

September

Field trip to the DMZ

October

Human Rights Watch, along with PSCORE other NGO, published an open letter directed to the Foreign Ministers of Member and Observer States of the UN Human Right Council

Campaign trip to Jeju (Street campaign)

December

Hosted ‘세계 인권 선언 74주년 기념 세미나’

2021

January - March

Submitted a report of human rights concerns in North Korea to the UN

March

Participated in the UN Human Rights Council's 46th session, addressing the North Korean Anti-Reactionary Thought Law

April

Held Model United Nations for Successful Corean Reunification (MUNSCR) conference

May

Speaker event for North Korean Human Rights Awareness partnered with the Asian American Club at Belmont High School

December

The newly released report on Digital Human Rights in North Korea was presented in a virtual press conference

2020

July

Provided arts and crafts videos for North Korean defector elementary school students (40 videos in 2020)

Workshop series with North Korean defector teachers (5 times in 2020)

Peaceful Korean reunification online workshop 2020 (42 participants from 12 countries)

Imjingak/DMZ tour

September

Tribunal “Forced Labor in Political GDR Detention” from September 11th to 13th, 2020 in Cottbus, Germany

October

Street campaign for North Korean human rights and Korean reunification (Itaewon)

Imjingak/DMZ tour

November

Street campaign for North Korean human rights and the Korean reunification (Itaewon)

Speech event with Incheon Yeongjong High School

Webinar for Korean Reunification 2020

December

Released video interview series with North Korean defectors

2019

February

50 Years of Korean Airlines Abductees to North Korea – Conference for the Return of Journalist Hwang Won and other Abductees

March

Held an Event at the 40th UN Human Rights Council and European Union Parliaments in Response to the 3rd UN UPR

April

Speech Event: Guest Speaker from Loxford

May

Lecture and Discussion Event on Korean Reunification and North Korean Human Rights at Daejin Women’s High School

June

Seminar on Sexual Violence and Improving Women’s Rights in North Korea

Held a Session at RightsCon 2019 on North Korean Human Rights

July

Talk Concert on Korean Reunification and North Korean Human Rights with Korea University Summer School Students

Korean Reunification and North Korean Human Rights Workshop at Daejin Women’s High School

Street Campaign on Korean Reunification and North Korean Human Rights

August

Speech event with CRCC Asia

Speech event with Jungnang Youth Center

School festival campaign with Daejin Girl’s High School

September

Street Campaign for North Korean human rights and Korean reunification

October

Speech event with New York University

Street campaign with Daejin Girl’s High School

November

Speech event with Yonsei University Japanese club

2018

January

Published a report about North Korean child labor, “Unending Toil: Child Labor within North Korea”

March

Participated in the United Nations Human Rights Council to hold North Korean Human Right campaigns

April

Held a lecture event on North Korean Human Rights in University of Amsterdam, Rotterdam School of Management

May

Hosted a movie screening (The Avengers) for defected North Korean children

June – July

Co-hosted a lecture on “Human Rights in North Korea” and “Peace in Korean Peninsula” with the GSIS Student Union of the Korea University

August

Street Campaign on Korean Reunification and North Korean Human Rights with Yonsei University (Sinchon)

September

Street Campaign on Korean Reunification and North Korean Human Rights (Itaewon)

October

Global Youth Seminar on Peaceful Reunification

DMZ Peace Campaign

70th Anniversary Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Event at the 73rd Session of the U.N. General Assembly on North Korean Human Rights

Unification Education at the Korean Catholic Church in Philadelphia, USA

December

70th Anniversary Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Resolution Conference on the Improvement of Human Rights in North Korea

2017

March

Participated in the UN Human Rights Committee to hold North Korean Human Right campaigns

Hosted North Korean Human Rights lecture in London, King’s College

May – November

Held street campaigns about North Korean human rights in subway stations, Migrant World Film Festival and Gwanghwamun Square

July

Hosted a cultural activity such as movie screening and summer camps for the defected North Korean children

Held a lecture for foreigners on North Korean human rights in Seoul Citizen Center and Korea University

August

Published “Age of Kim Jong Un: North Korea’s Recent Security Threat”

October

Hosted a lecture event with visiting professors from Australia and New Zealand

2016

Mar 7-10
Conference at Dolphin School, Royal Holloway and King's College and Brunel University in England
Mar 11-20
Participation in the UN Human Rights Council and campaigns regarding the rights of North Koreans
Mar 21-25
Lecture at the University of Groningen (Netherlands), IGFM (Germany) and the University of Le Havre (France)
May - Nov
Various campaigns regarding the issue of human rights in North Korea held in different areas and subway stations around Seoul

2015

Mar 11-25
Conference at Eton, Radly and Bedales College in England
May - Nov
Road campaign to raise awareness and create discussion regarding human rights in North Korea (in Sangmyung, Hanyang, Seoul Tech, Dongkuk, Konkuk universities, at Yongsan stations, National Assembly, Yoeuido,...)
Jul 31
Speech on human rights in North Korea with a North Korean defector and international students in Itaewon
Aug 22
Benefit concert called "Rock Out Concert" created to raise funds for the purpose of giving support to North Korean refugee students
Sep 30
Conference with visiting teachers from Australia and New Zealand
Oct 2-5
Campaigns on the issue of human rights in North Korea at the Busan Film Festival
Oct 18
Founder Young Il-Kim delivers lecture at Japanese TEDxAPU event
Nov
International human rights report called "Multinational Abuse and Exploitation" published (not available in Italian)
Dec
Published collection of testimonies of North Korean defectors in PSCORE book "Those without faces" (not available in Italian language)

2014

January 21

Lecture at Dulwich College in London, UK

March 13-20

Participated in the UN Human Rights Council and held North Korean Human Rights campaigns

March 20-27

Held ‘London North Korean Human Rights Lecture Tour’ at different universities in London, UK such as Oxford University, Eton, and Radley Colleges

May 28

Relocated our office to Gangseo-gu, Seoul

August 01

Organized a support event to rescue North Koreans refugees with the British Ambassador

October 03

Ran a North Korean Human Rights Street Campaign at the Busan Film Festival

November 21

Held a screening of ‘Journey to Freedom’, an awareness event about PSCORE’s rescue missions in China

December 12

Organized a North Korean Human Rights Poetry Contest

Throughout the year

Held five charity ‘Rock Out Concert’ to raise funds to support North Korean refugee students

2013

March 02

Held a concluding symposium for the ‘North Korea Youth Education Mentoring Program’

March 06

Published the 2013 edition of North Korean Human Rights casebook “Only the Freedom to Breathe”

March 07-13

Participated in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva

April 30

Held a seminar about ‘Demand Analysis and Policy Suggestion for North Korean Students Customized Education Support’

September 01

Produced a North Korean Human Rights album called ‘Music for Freedom’

September 16

Submitted the North Korean Human Rights report to the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

September 22

Hosted the benefit performance by Foreign Language High School Orchestra Union for PSCORE

October 03-06

Held a North Korean Human Rights campaign as well as a cultural activity night for North Korean students at Busan Film Festival

October 10

Published the North Korean Human Rights report

October 28 – November 06

Attended UN meetings in New York and gave a lecture at Columbia University

Every Month

Organized street campaigns every month at subway stations, airport, train stations, and main streets in Seoul

2012

January 25-31

Participated in the Myanmar human rights activists program held by the United States National Democratic Institute (NDI)

March

Held campaigns against the broadcast limitation of North Korea

April 17-30

Hosted lecture events about reunification

April 25

Participated in North Korea Freedom Week International Workshop; discussing the issue of North Korean human rights with the United Nations and the international community

August

Launched ‘North Korea Youth Education Mentoring Program’

August 09 – October 13

Held the 4th Annual Essay Contest, “Let’s Talk About Unification,” and Awards Ceremony

September 10-14

Participated in the Geneva UN Commission on Human Rights’ International Campaign

October 04-06

Launched a North Korean Human Rights Campaign for the Busan Film Festival

November 03-04

Global English Camp for North Korean defectors to learn conversation in English

December 15

Rock Culture Festival Charity Concert

2011

April 12

Held a speech event with Australian and New Zealand teachers from the Asia Education Foundation

April 27

Hosted “A Desirable Direction for North Korean Human Rights Law” Seminar

June 04

Registered as an official NGO affiliated with the Ministry of Unification (Ministry of Unification Room 109)

2010

January 19

Participated in Round Table Discussion on North Korean Rights Issues (co-host: ELTF Australia)

January 29-30

Held a PSCORE Leadership Training Session

February 26

Recognized by the Ministry of Unification as a non-profit organization (Ministry of Unification, #259)

April 21

Directed a program providing education about unification to students at Ganggyong High School

April 22

Hosted Information Session for opportunity of scholarships to study abroad in Germany

April 30

Hosted North Korea Freedom Week Seminar

May 20

Hosted ‘North/South Korean Student Forum on Reunification’

May 24

Had an opening speech in the press conference of the sinking of South Korean warship ‘Cheonan’

June 25-27

Organized the Global English Camp

August 16

Hosted the 3rd Annual Essay Contest “Let’s Talk About Reunification”

September 06 – November 21

Held the annual PSCORE Youtube Video Contest about Democracy and Human Rights in North Korea

December 10

Held “What Made Them Change? – Korean Wave in North Korea” Seminar

2009

January 14

Participated in Round table discussion on North Korean issues (co-host: ELTF Australia)

February 20-21

Held a PSCORE Leadership Training Session

March 24

Held the 0.001 Campaign

April 20

Hosted ‘Regime Change in North Korea and Human Rights Issues’ Seminar (co-host: Legislative Forum on Human Rights)

April 20 – August 20

Held the Annual Essay Contest, “Let’s Talk About Unification,” and Poem Contest

April 30

Held ‘Crossing Over’ Seminar (co-host: George Town University)

June 26-28

Hosted Global English Camp (co-host: Hanns Seidel Foundation)

August 19

Hosted a ceremony to celebrate the joint pledge of PSCORE and the Seodaemun Police Department to support education for North Korean defectors

October 19 – December 20

Held the first Annual PSCORE Youtube Video Contest about Democracy and Human Rights in North Korea

November 27

Hosted International Student Conference on North Korean Human Rights (co-hosts: Legislative Forum on Human Rights, Hanns Seidel Foundation, Korean Leaders Academy)

2008

March 29

Participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) as a Delegate

April 26

Participated in the U.S. ‘North Korea Freedom Week’

July 31

Held the first Annual Essay Contest, “Let’s Talk About Unification,” and Award Ceremony

July 31

Chosen by the U.S. State Department as a Human Rights Democracy Fun beneficiary

December 14

Participated in training program ‘Political Education of a United Germany’

2007

February 08

Participated in ‘Protection of North Korean Immigrants and Reform of Laws Regarding Their Settlement in South Korea’ Seminar

April 10

Co-hosted Founding Ceremony for the Committee for the Democratization of North Korea

May 24

Co-hosted Press conference for College Students Walk for North Korean Rights

May 25

Co-hosted Yeollin Uri Party and Grand National Party Round-Table Discussion on North Korean Human Rights

May 26

Co-hosted College Students’ Walk for North Korean Human Rights

June 08

Hosted PSCORE Seminar at the University of Seoul

July 01

Started education program for young North Korean defectors

August 23

Co-hosted Future History Camp

October 25

Co-hosted Unification Culture Expo

2006

July 09

Discussed and officially established PSCORE

October 05

Launched the PSCORE website

November 10

Held first PSCORE Seminar

December 20

Co-hosted Memorial Workshop for the International Students Conference on North Korean Human Rights