Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It has offices in Long Beach, California, United States, and Seoul, South Korea. The organization rescues refugees hiding in China and resettles them in South Korea or the United States, so that they can avoid being forcibly repatriated back to North Korea, where they can face harsh punishments. The refugees first travel from China to Southeast Asia through what the organization calls an "Underground Railroad", and then on to South Korea where they are recognized as refugees. LiNK also seeks to raise awareness of human rights issues in North Korea through media production, conducting research, and through tours. Having sprung out of Korean-American student activism at universities in the United States, the organization grew rapidly and produced several feature-length documentaries, as well as TED talks by its leaders and rescuees. The organization now has a Research & Strategy department based in Seoul, that conducts research on North Korean issues with an emphasis on human rights issues. The organization positions itself as different from governmental positions and media narratives that focus on the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons program and other national security issues, focusing instead on refugees who were considered economic migrants by the Chinese government and who risked repatriation. LiNK provides support to resettlement programs for North Koreans beyond those provided by the South Korean government. History Early years and leadership Liberty in North Korea was founded at Yale University on March 27, 2004, the last day of the eighteenth annual Korean American Students Conference (KASCON) which described LiNK as "an explosive organization." The co-founders were Adrian Hong and the comedian Paul Kim. The launch included a talk from a North Korean defector and video clips of escape attempts. In December 2004, LiNK sent two teams to the border of China and North Korea to interview North Korean refugees and to investigate conditions. Led by Adrian Hong, LiNK's name recognition spread through the efforts of Korean-Americans at universities and colleges who registered 40 chapters in a short period of time. Volunteers worked on staging protests, petition drives, and public awareness campaigns. In January 2007, Adrian Hong wrote that "two LiNK field workers and 6 North Korean refugees were caught and imprisoned by Chinese authorities" en route from Shenyang, and that Hong himself had been detained in Beijing. The Wall Street Journal took interest in the case and