Straight from Seoul: Meet Our Interns!
Outside of rescues, we also provide resettlement assistance and empower North Korean refugees to succeed after they escape. Much of this support comes from our office in Seoul. Over the last few years, this office has grown, increasing our capacity to support resettled North Koreans in South Korea. Part of the reason our office can do what it does is because of our incredible interns who work with our staff and the North Korean people every day. We would love for you to meet them!
Jiwon Lee (Resettlement Assistance Intern)
Jiwon decided to intern with LiNK after studying social work and international development in South Korea where she joined a club on campus focused on North Korean issues.
What she’s excited for:
Jiwon’s excited to meet and learn more about North Korea and how to help North Koreans while working at LiNK.
A fun fact:
Jiwon is the tallest woman in the South Korean office (second tallest person overall after Jihyun!)
Chanmi Hwang (HR & Administration Intern)
Chanmi is originally from South Korea, but studied in China by herself from the age of 15. In college in Beijing, she met North Korean classmates and became interested in the ongoing changes in North Korea and in particular the different attitudes of the younger generation of North Koreans. Now, she is committed to engaging with this generation to accelerate those changes.
What she’s excited for:
Chanmi is excited every morning to work on an issue that matters in the world.
A fun fact:
Outside of work, Chanmi loves dancing, playing the piano, and exploring new ideas. As a teenager, she won a national school uniform design contest.
Hyunji Lim (Empowerment Program Intern)
Hyunji has always had an interest in refugee issues. When she was in college, she volunteered to teach refugees in L.A.
What she’s excited for:
Hyunji’s excited to be able to learn life lessons from the people she meets: North Koreans, LiNK staff, and her fellow interns.
A fun fact:
Hyunji enjoys sewing. She can make embroidered shirts, bags, and all kinds of things! She particularly loves to make dolls to donate to orphanages.
Sunghyo Kim (Empowerment Program Intern)
Prior to joining LiNK, Sunghyo served in the South Korean Air Force as an interpreting officer for three years. This experience sparked his interest in North Korean issues. After the Nomads came to his college in Minnesota a couple years ago, he decided to find a way to get involved with LiNK. His first foray into our work began when he volunteered with our Study Abroad and Career Development Program. He enjoyed his time so much that he joined us in South Korea as an Empowerment Program intern.
What he’s excited for:
Sunghyo is grateful to meet and build lifelong connections with our North Korean friends.
A fun fact:
During his basic military training, Sunghyo walked 67 miles in three days in full gear that weighed 45 pounds.
Joyce Kim (Empowerment Program Intern)
Joyce’s interest in North Korea began when she found out her paternal grandparents came from North Korea to South Korea via boat in the 1950s. Since then, she’s been involved in a LiNK Rescue Team and even wrote her thesis about North Korean defectors.
What she’s excited for:
Joyce is excited to learn more about North Korea by working with the LiNK in the South Korean office. Joyce loves exploring new cities, biking, and photography.
A fun fact:
Joyce helped throw UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s 70th birthday party!
Teresa Kim (Media Intern, not pictured)
Teresa became interested in the North Korean issue through her experiences studying and filming the current narratives of human trafficking in the world. Teresa began her time at LiNK’s HQ as a videographer intern in California and is excited to continue her LiNK adventure in South Korea.
What she’s excited for:
Teresa is excited to meet North Koreans in South Korea and create visuals to support our programs in South Korea.
A fun fact:
She enjoys Shakespeare’s love sonnets and short walks to the refrigerator at night.
Want to intern with us?
