The Black Market Generation Project
We’re excited to announce that we are embarking on our third documentary. That’s right, THIRD!
The best part about this project is you won’t be hearing much from us or the typical experts. Instead, you’ll hear directly from our North Korean peers—those who were involved in changing their country from the inside and who are now changing it from the outside.
Geumju is just one of the North Korean millennials we interviewed for this documentary.
Our millennial peers inside North Korea are different from any generation before them. They’re the first generation that no longer relies on the regime. In fact, they’re more likely to see the regime as a hinderance to their ambitions and needs. They have more access to information and more control over their personal lives than any previous generation in North Korea.
Because North Korean millennials see their situation differently, they act differently. They are the beginning of a NEW North Korea. As this generation continues to grow, so will the pressure for change.
With this new documentary, we’ll share the story of these millennials, AKA the Black Market Generation, AKA the people who inspire us at LiNK every day. We want you to be up to date and involved as we work on this project, so stay tuned for more updates.
For now, here are a few of the North Korean millennials we collaborated with on our first production trip!
You all know Yeonmi. She was one of our Summit speakers and she is awesome. She recently reunited with her sister against all odds. They hadn’t seen each other for seven years until a few months ago! It was incredible to see them interact and enjoy time together.
This is Gang Min. He was a kotjebi (street child) in North Korea and was involved in market activities from an early age. Now he is an entrepreneur finding his way in South Korea. He really wants to be successful so he can give back to the North Korean people.
Geumju and Taeil knew each other back in North Korea and have reconnected in South Korea. She is spunky and smart. He is a soft-spoken, intelligent young man. We talked at length with them about their lives then and now.
We are thrilled and honored to tell these stories and have no doubt that this information will impact our collective understanding of the country, the people, and the potential for change that exists within.
