Cheol "Charles" Ryu is the founder of the Freedom Bridge Foundation, a nonprofit supporting North Korean refugees.
Charles escaped twice from North Korea as a teenager. The first time he was caught in China and sent back to North Korea to a defector's detention camp where he was forced to do hard manual labor for nine months, followed by work in a coal mine for another year. On his second escape attempt he successfully arrived at an international refugee camp and received refugee status from the UN, resettling in the United States, where he learned to code and found work as a software engineer.
He dedicates his time to advocating for the North Korean people by sharing his stories and the stories of other defectors through his YouTube channel and social media platforms.
Our programs are designed to provide not only education and support, but also dignity, connection, and a path forward.
Illyong was born in 1996 in Chongjin, in the northern part of North Korea, as the youngest of three children. For nearly ten years, his parents secretly listened to banned South Korean radio broadcasts. Inspired by what they heard, his parents made the difficult decision to defect. His father escaped first, working in South Korea for a year to save enough money to bring the rest of the family out. Over time, he successfully helped each member escape, and the family was reunited in 2012.
In 2022, Illyong earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Korea University, where he is now pursuing his Master’s degree in the same field. Alongside his studies, he serves with Tong-il Majoong (TIMJ), a non-profit organization dedicated to North Korean human rights and evangelization.
Illyong’s dream is to one day freely go on mission trips around the world together with his friends in North Korea.
Kangwoo is a North Korean defector whose life has been defined by a singular, harrowing mission: fulfilling a vow to bring his mother to freedom. After initially escaping to South Korea, he worked grueling jobs—from assembling mattresses to sealing rooftops—to save for her rescue. In May 2019, he took the unthinkable risk of crossing back into North Korea to find her. Despite being discovered and struck by a guard, he managed to reach his mother’s home and eventually lead her to safety.
The journey cost Kangwoo nearly $36,000 in broker fees and left him buried in debt, but his mother successfully reached South Korea in June 2019. Having rebuilt his life from nothing, Kangwoo now aspires to earn a PhD in political science. He hopes his story serves as a beacon for other defectors, proving that resilience can overcome even the most desperate circumstances.
Jiyeong Kim was born to a North Korean mother and a Chinese father. Her mother, who had fled North Korea in search of survival, was trafficked and sold to a Chinese man—Jiyeong’s father. Not long after Jiyeong was born, her mother left for South Korea, leaving her behind.
Years later, her mother arranged for Jiyeong and her father to safely come to South Korea. In 2010, Jiyeong resettled in the Republic of Korea and regained her South Korean nationality.
Growing up, Jiyeong struggled with questions of identity—whether she was Chinese, South Korean, or North Korean. Over time, however, she found clarity in her calling. Today, she serves as a staff member of TIMJ (Tong-il Majoong), a youth movement preparing for Korean reunification. She is especially passionate about becoming a bridge connecting North and South Korea, as well as supporting North Korean defectors living in China.
Her deepest hope is to one day meet her older sister, who still remains in North Korea—this time, on North Korean soil.
