Two North Korean Defectors Appointed as New Directors of the South-North Hana Foundation

Among the 10 Board Members, 3 Are Former North Korean Defectors

The North Korean Defectors Support Foundation (South-North Hana Foundation), which supports the successful settlement and stable living of North Korean defectors, has appointed two defectors as new board members.

On the 31st, the Ministry of Unification announced the appointment of Lee Young-cheol, CEO of LT-K Co., Ltd., and Lee Song-hyun, director of Hanam Severance Dental Clinic, both defectors, as new board members of the South-North Hana Foundation.

With this appointment, the total number of defectors on the 10-member board of the South-North Hana Foundation has increased to three. The term of office is three years.

Board member Lee Young-cheol previously worked at the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the North Korean embassy. After defecting, in 2017, he formed the "Defector One Family Volunteer Group," which helps local elderly and national merit recipients, and regularly supported alternative schools attended by North Korean defector youth.

Board member Lee Song-hyun formerly worked as a dentist at the Central Dental Research Institute of the North Korean Ministry of Public Health. After defecting, she has consistently donated to organizations supporting medical vulnerable groups, including defectors, such as the "Open Dental Volunteer Society."

The Ministry of Unification stated, "The new board members have successfully settled in our society as a businessperson and a dentist, respectively, and have continuously engaged in volunteer and donation activities for struggling defectors and neighbors around them. We expect them to contribute to the foundation's development as a warm companion for defectors."