Adrian Hong
Adrian Hong currently serves as Executive Director of Liberty in North Korea, or LiNK, an international NGO devoted to human rights in North Korea, and the protection of North Korean refugees all over the world. He co-founded the non-profit organization, and spends his time advocating for the North Korean people to governments, institutions and agencies worldwide, working on policy issues affecting the North Korean people, maintaining and supporting a large underground network of shelters for North Korean refugees in hiding, and organizing routes and operations on the underground railroad bringing North Korean refugees to freedom. Adrian regularly briefs and advises congressional and parliamentary representatives on the issue, as well as diplomatic representatives throughout the world, and officials of many international organizations and agencies. His remarks are regularly featured in international media
In December of 2006, Adrian was arrested along with 2 LiNK field workers and 6 North Korean refugees in the People's Republic of China and imprisoned before being released and deported. The PRC refuses to recognize North Koreans as refugees despite international, independent and UN findings to the contrary, and does not abide by it's treaty obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention, which it is a signatory to. North Koreans repatriated to the DPRK face severe interrogation and punishment, and those caught attempting to defect, converting to Christianity or meeting with foreigners face imprisonment in labor and concentration camps. The refugees were released in July of 2007 in an unprecedented move by Chinese authorities and sent to South Korea.
Adrian was Executive Director of KASCON at Yale University. Mr. Hong was chosen as a 2007 Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leader, a group of the top 200 leaders under 40 from Asia and the US, and was a 2007 NetKAL Fellow at the University of Southern California's School of Social Work.