Who We Are and How You Can Help

The European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea (EAHRNK) was formed in January 2013. We are a group made up of young activists, journalists, and academics. We joined together in response to the horrendous human rights situation in North Korea.

What do we do?

1. EAHRNK brings European citizens together to work hand in hand with the wider international community to raise awareness of human rights violations in North Korea. We raise awareness of human rights violations in North Korea by holding events related to North Korea, encouraging government policies that focus on citizens, publishing records of North Koreans' accounts of human rights violations, and engaging the public in meaningful debate on North Korea.
2. EAHRNK supports North Koreans in their efforts to bring about economic and humanitarian improvements in their country from beneath. We encourage the EU and European governments to psychologically and economically support those efforts.
3. EAHRNK encourage the international community to engage directly with all levels of society in North Korea, but we support focusing engagement on regular citizens rather than the privileged elite.
4. EAHRNK work on improving the standard of reporting on North Korea. To date, media reporting has been sensationalist, focused on the regime, and with an unhealthy dose of bias. In order to ensure the public are educated about North Korea from the perspective of North Koreans, EAHRNK work on reporting, writing articles, and cultivating more responsible journalism by giving North Koreans the opportunity to voice their opinions and ideas on their country.
5. EAHRNK work on creating solutions to humanitarian problems in North Korea via research, policy creation, and targeted advocacy or support for projects run by North Koreans in exile.

Why is EAHRNK needed?

The European Union and member states have been pressing the North Korean authorities on their human rights record. However, the regime has paid little attention because they have little desire to change. To help alleviate and end the human rights abuses in North Korea, there needs to be more awareness. There also needs to be more countries ready to pursue the regime for their crimes against humanity and who will support North Koreans in their efforts to bring about reforms from the ground up. By working across Europe, we help build the efforts for pursuing justice and for supporting North Koreans.

As we see whenever there are tensions on the Korean peninsula, the current diplomatic trend is toward focusing on nuclear proliferation and security in North Korea. We need to make diplomatic relations wider in scope, in order to focus on the people and to address the human rights situation. The international community's focus has been on the privileged elite in Pyongyang, but there are approximately 24 million people in the country. Our activities will all lead to changing diplomatic discussions and media reporting to focus on the ordinary people of North Korea as well as to place nuclear proliferation within the context of a wider people-security problem.

How can you help?

You can 'like' our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, tell your friends about our efforts, donate to us, and contact us to get more involved. We're always on the look out for people to help organise events, raise funds, campaign, and promote our work.

The European community and the governments of Europe have not done enough whilst hundreds of thousands in North Korea were imprisoned in gulags, millions died from famine, and the general populace were deprived of the most basic of human rights. Human rights in North Korea is a topic widely debated and acted upon within North America and Asia, but has largely been ignored in Europe. It's time to change that. Help raise awareness of the crimes against humanity inflicted on the people by the regime by joining the European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea.