Samantha Garcia is a first-year Master’s student at Ewha Women’s University, specializing in Developmental Cooperation with a keen interest in international law and gender studies. Her interest in East Asia began during her undergraduate years at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in International Criminal Justice. Throughout that period, she concentrated on North Korea and the prevalent human rights issues in the region. This focus prompted her to intern with various U.S.-ROK NGOs, providing her with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced in the field.

Motivated by these experiences, Samantha enthusiastically applied for and was accepted to the Global Korean Scholarship. Her dedication is reflected in her desire to continue her undergraduate passion, focusing on the human rights crisis faced by North Korean women in the prison systems as the central theme for her master’s thesis. As a Research Intern at HRNK, she aims to further expand her knowledge and contribute to the strengthening of U.S.-ROK relations.