Kim Sung-uk () is a South Korean journalist, political commentator, and North Korean human rights activist. As the president of the Korea Liberty Union and Jesus Wave Ministry, Kim has done work in educating the South Korean public, especially its youth, about North Korean human rights through lectures, books, and various public events. He has also appeared as a panelist on Korean TV networks Channel A and TV Chosun, where he discussed South Korean political issues and North Korean human rights.
Early life and education
Kim was born on February 11, 1971, in Seoul, South Korea. He attended Yonsei University, where he received a Bachelor of Laws, a Master of Laws, and completed coursework for a PhD in international law. He also holds a degree from the Faith International University in Tacoma, Washington.
Professional work
Korea Liberty Union & Jesus Wave Ministry
Kim Sung-uk is the president of Korea Liberty Union and Jesus Wave Ministry, South Korean organizations dedicated to policy analysis and research regarding North Korean issues, especially North Korean nuclear weapons and human rights issues. Through those organizations, he has focused on educating the South Korean public about the North Korean human rights crisis, especially its youth.
In addition, he has done many lectures at various churches, academic institutions (such as at the Heavenly Dream School) military bases, and others. He especially argues that engaging the North Korean regime is fundamentally flawed, due to the determination the North Korean elites have to preserve the regime. He also opposes humanitarian aid towards the North Korean regime in favor of sanctions, as he claims that most of the humanitarian aid that goes towards North Korea flow towards the regime. For that, he has received criticism from left-wing commentators in Korea who advocate engagement with North Korea.
He also holds trans-denominational Christian prayer meetings involving a lecture and prayer sessions for the North Korean people.
North Korean Human Rights Activism
SAGE Korea
In 2011, for the purpose of educating the South Korean youth about North Korean human rights issues, he formed an organization at Handong University part of the Korea Liberty Union, SAGE Korea, that has done various events regarding North Korean human rights issues. The organization, under his leadership and with the help of the Handong University students, holds exhibits at various parts of Korea regarding North Korea's concentration camps. Those events featured testimonials with Q&A sessions involving escapees from those camps, and lectures from Kim about the reality of the North Korean human rights abuses. In addition, there is a photo exhibit with drawings from those survivors illustrating the situations they have gone through in the camp. Those exhibits features Q&A sessions involving escapees from those camps, The goal of those events are for spreading awareness regarding North Korea's political prisoner camps and to pass a comprehensive North Korean human rights law at the Korean national assembly.
Rescue of Shin Suk-ja
In 2011, Kim helped organize a campaign for the release of Shin Suk-ja, and her daughters, South Korean citizens who were imprisoned in Yoduk Concentration Camp after visiting North Korea in 1985. The event, which was held in Tongyeong, her hometown, was held in commemoration of 100,000 signatures calling for their release. Kim held a special lecture informing the audience about the reality of North Korea's human rights and calling for the abolishment of North Korea's concentration camps. As part of SAGE Korea, Kim has also held another event in July 2011, again calling for their release.
Publications
Kim has published 13 books regarding various issues in the Korean Peninsula. These include the Korean Communism Report (대한민국 적화보고서), published in 2006, Preoccupy North Korea, published in 2010 (북한을 선점하라), History Making, published in 2013, and Kim Jong-un Will Perish Like This, published in 2014 (김정은 이렇게 망한다).
Korean Communism Report
His first work that led to his acknowledgment around Korea was the Korean Communism Report, published in 2006 (대한민국 적화보고서) where he described the dangers of engagement and economic aid to North Korea, claiming that those types of aid only benefit the North Korean regime. He also discussed the vulnerabilities of the South Korean political system to a federation with North Korea, in which North Korea gradually takes over the Korean political system.