Mulmangcho represents conscience in action for victims of history.

Korean modern history has been especially harsh. The pain of losing a country and the trauma of war still sit deep in our hearts. Sakhalin Koreans, Koreiskis wandering the Middle East, comfort women, victims of the nuclear explosion, Class B and C war criminals, subjects of Unit 731, Prisoners of War (POW) in Siberia, Korean POWs, wartime and post-war abductees, and North Korean defectors who wandered in the streets of China and Southeast Asia have all experienced innumerable hardships…

The Republic of Korea has greatly evolved from a chaotic nation on a pile of gunpowder that lost its sovereignty into one of the ten largest economies in the world. As a result, South Korea has become one of the first recipient-turned-donor countries in the world, and the global community is now looking to learn from our miraculous transformation.

However, at this time, we are neglecting the victims and those marginalized by our harsh modern history. As we point fingers at Japan, the people of Korea are gradually forgetting the victims of our painful history. But we must remember; a nation holds unlimited responsibility for its people’s lives and safety. 

As we continue to forget about these victims, our nation becomes more divided. We fail to acknowledge and honor those who have sacrificed for the peace and prosperity with which we are gifted today. 

From now on, we will lead the efforts in helping the brave victims of our history. 

To begin with, we want to lend our hands to North Korean defectors and the courageous and elderly POWs who have returned to their homes. This is a small step.

Then, we will build an alternative school for North Korean students, thereby providing opportunities for these students to experience and learn from opportunities overseas. Moreover, we will provide elderly care facilities for the POWs. Simultaneously, we will pursue research programs to better help those in need and carry out various programs to help to the victims of our history. 

Finally, we will strive to establish freedom and democracy for other countries. 

‘Conscience in action’ for the courageous heroes of our history is what Mulmangcho stands for. 

Approximately 24,000 North Korean refugees have escaped North Korean tyranny and have come to South Korea, a society full of freedom, democracy and human rights. These defectors are working tirelessly to settle down in South Korea and overcome the barriers formed by differences in culture, politics, and society. Nonetheless, it is an unfortunate reality that many are still struggling to adapt to their new environment.
Despite the on-going government resettlement program formed in 2002, the lives of these refugees remain arduous.
More than half of these North Korean defectors consider themselves as lower class (45.7%) or below-poverty (5.5%) level, and their unemployment rate is at 12.1%, which is 3.3 times higher than an average South Korean. Among the employed defectors, 45.4% are permanently employed, 32.2% are daily workers, and 15.2% are temporary workers.
The North Korean defectors here today are the start of the preparation for unification, and they are a critical part of a united Korea’s future.
Helping these North Korean defectors settle down in Korea is essentially the first step of the unification. Therefore, enhancing human rights for North Koreans, North Korean defectors and POWs and alleviating their challenging living conditions are the first steps needed to be taken in preparation for a successful unification.
Mulmangcho plans to advocate for North Korean and North Korean defectors’ human rights and improve the quality of life by building an alternative school and an elderly care facility for North Korean defectors and POWs alike.
In particular, young North Korean defectors who have been deprived of sufficient education due to their status will be provided with adequate educational facilities and educational opportunities overseas for foreign language trainings. These students will become the future of the Korean Unification, and we will do our utmost best to support them with their goals.
In addition, we hope to help the POWs and the older North Korean defectors by operating a care facility.
Once the aforementioned projects are completed, as part of the preparation for the unification, we will commence a human rights program to enhance the human rights of the 25 million people living in North Korea and to advocate for the dissolution of political concentration camps. Further, we plan to carry out various support programs for the forgotten victims of history including Sakhalin Koreans, Koryo-saram of Middle East, and comfort women.