Hope Friends Kia Chetak Launches Campaign to Support Koryoin Facing Hardships in Korea

Hope Friends Kia Chetak is launching a campaign to support the self-reliance of Koryoin families who came to Korea to escape the war in Ukraine.

The international relief and development NGO Hope Friends Kia Chetak (President Choi Changnam) announced on July 1 that it is launching the "Koryoin Support Campaign" to assist Koryoin families in Korea who are facing complex challenges such as war, family dissolution, and livelihood crises.

Koryoin are descendants of Koreans who were relocated from the Russian Far East to Central Asia in 1937 under Stalin's forced migration policy. They have since settled in countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Today, approximately 110,000 Koryoin compatriots reside in Korea, but they face significant difficulties accessing public support due to language and institutional barriers, and even the survival and educational rights of their children are under threat.

Hope Friends Kia Chetak has organized this campaign to provide practical support for the recovery and self-reliance of Koryoin and other families with migrant backgrounds in Korea who are experiencing crises such as poverty, family dissolution, and illness.

The campaign shares the story of Danilo, a Koryoin father who entered Korea to escape the war in Ukraine, and his two children. Danilo, the main subject of the story, is raising his two children alone after separating from his spouse and is solely responsible for supporting the family. He must go out to work every day without exception to make a living, leaving him with very little time to spend with his young children. Recently, the economic burden has increased further as his income from daily labor has significantly decreased due to the economic downturn. However, it is difficult for him to receive external help because of language and institutional barriers.

The detailed story of Danilo's family will also be featured on the SBS cultural program "The Most Beautiful Journey in the World" on the same day. Donations collected through the campaign will be used to support the livelihoods, housing stability, educational expenses, and psychological and emotional well-being of children from migrant backgrounds in Korea, including Koryoin families. Information on how to participate in the campaign can be found on the official website of Hope Friends Kia Chetak.

Choi Changnam, President of Hope Friends Kia Chetak, stated, "Families with migrant backgrounds in Korea, including Koryoin, are vulnerable to complex crises such as war, unemployment, and family dissolution. However, language and institutional barriers make it extremely difficult for them to access public support," adding, "We hope that this campaign will improve social awareness of people with migrant backgrounds and, furthermore, that warm interest and participation will help them achieve full self-reliance as members of Korean society."