Adrian Hong
Working out of LiNK's headquarters office in the Washington, D.C. Metro area, Mr. Hong 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, with the help of a brilliant and dynamic core staff at LiNK. Mr. Hong has briefed and advised members of the US Senate and House of Representatives, the National Security Council, and officials of the US Department of State on the issue, as well as diplomatic and parliamentary representatives from the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Japan, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and the European Union, and officials of many international organizations and agencies.
His remarks have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Wall Street Journal Asia, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Korea Times, Independent, Chosun Ilbo, Yonhap, Hankook Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo, Radio Korea, Radio Free Asia and Voice of America. He has also been interviewed for extended pieces on NPR-affiliate station WUNC's "The Story With Dick Gordon", and Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC)'s "The Sunday Edition."
In December of 2006, Mr. Hong was arrested along with 6 North Korean refugees in the People's Republic of China and imprisoned for ten days before being released and deported to the United States. 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. He continues to build underground networks in neighboring countries, and continues work in China by proxy.
Mr. Hong also serves as Deputy Director of GWM, a multi-service non-profit based in Latin America, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Korean American Coalition, Washington-DC Area Chapter (KAC-DC). While in college, Mr. Hong served as Executive Director of the 18th Annual Korean American Students Conference, held at Yale University. He currently also serves on the Board of the Mirae Foundation, an organization dedicated to overseeing the annual KASCON conference and mentoring Korean American collegiate leaders.
