By Greg ScarlatoiuPresident and CEO, Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) Allen E. Anderson passed away April 20, 2026 at the age of 97. The son of Alben and Agnes Anderson and a descendant of Scandinavian immigrants, Al rose from a rural Minnesota one-room schoolhouse to become a prominent leader in the geosciences. As a leader at the Army Map Service and the Defense Mapping Agency, Al oversaw the production of critical cartographic missions, including the 3D lunar maps used for Apollo landings. His expertise took him to post-war Japan under General MacArthur and earned him the Order of the White Elephant from the Thai government. Faith and service were Al’s cornerstones. A devoted member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, he also founded a resident-led program at Goodwin House. In Alexandria, he spent 24 years tutoring ACPS students and volunteering for ALIVE! and Meals on Wheels. Al maintained lifelong bonds with his boyhood friends and remained an adventurer at heart, famously climbing Machu Picchu at age 87. He is survived by his beloved wife, Michiko Anderson; his daughter, Rebecca Anderson; his son, Douglas Anderson; and his grandchildren, Emma, Anderson, and John. Al leaves behind a legacy defined by his “long story”—a life of precision, service, faith, and an enduring curiosity about the world he helped to map. Six months older than my father whom I lost in July 2013, Al was my American friend, senior, mentor, and guiding light. A Cold War soldier and freedom fighter, Al provided

Remember the People of North Korea on 2025 Human Rights Day Seventy-seven years ago, on the 10th of December 1948, the UN General Assembly proclaimed an unprecedented global pledge, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). A UN member state since September 1991, North Korea is bound by the UDHR. And yet, each and every conceivable human right is violated in North Korea. On this Human Rights Day, HRNK wishes to remind our friends, colleagues, and generous supporters that the people of North Korea need to understand their dire human rights situation. They must know the truth about the outside world, especially free, democratic, prosperous global economic and cultural powerhouse South Korea. The people of North Korea must grasp the depth and breadth of the corruption of their core elites. The only ones who can enact positive, peaceful change are the people of North Korea. The best thing like-minded democracies can do is to empower them through information from the outside world. This Human Rights Day, we insist that the way to bring freedom, human rights, and prosperity to the people of North Korea is not severing information channels from the outside world, but exponentially increasing the volume of information sent into that country. Greg Scarlatoiu President and CEOCommittee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK)