Among the 34,000 North Korean refugees who have escaped to South Korea, many want to learn English because of its important role in their new lives. English proficiency is often a benchmark for employment and education opportunities in South Korea. Today, standardized English test scores are often a required skill for employment at large companies, and classes in South Korean universities are being increasingly taught in English.

This creates a significant challenge for North Korean refugees who want to attain success for themselves or their families. Many North Korean refugees want to overcome this challenge by learning English. Some also want to use English to find their own voice, share their stories, or take part in advocacy efforts.

At FSI, we seek to fulfill this need by providing North Korean refugees with tuition-free and individualized mentorship for public speaking in English and opportunities to engage with the international community.

Our mission is to empower North Korean refugees through mentorship, opportunities, and partnerships. We provide North Korean refugees with mentorship for public speaking in English, opportunities to engage with the international community, and partnerships for pursuing and achieving their own goals.

We are the only organization supporting North Korean refugees that focuses on public speaking in an organized way. By providing individualized mentorship for public speaking in English and opportunities for engagement with the international community, our services help reveal new opportunities for empowerment that may be missed in typical educational settings. By building trusting and dynamic relationships that are centered around refugees’ goals, we meet a demand for services that recognize North Korean refugees as active participants in their own lives and futures.