SoEun Park is an undergraduate student at Harvard University concentrating in Government and Sociology. As someone born in South Korea and has lived in three countries––South Korea, Brazil, and the United States––she has always been interested in international relations and how foreign policies play out across and within different cultures and contexts. Introduced to the topic of Korean reunification in elementary school in Korea, her interest in North Korea issues deepened after hearing directly from a North Korean escapee about their experiences at a study group session during her first year of college.

As a result of taking international relations and human rights courses in college and beyond, especially one on international relations and peace-building in the Korean Peninsula at the Seoul National University International Summer Program, her commitment to delve deeper into practical applications of advocacy that create change in the realm of human rights solidified. She firmly believes that inhumane treatment and severe repression faced by North Koreans serve as stark reminders of the vital importance of basic human rights. Learning more about the experiences of egregious human rights abuses that are ubiquitous in North Korea has fueled her passion for advocating for human rights not only in North Korea, but globally.

Her interest in human rights, particularly in North Korea, is also deeply intertwined with her personal experiences as an immigrant. As a first generation immigrant, she faced various challenges common to immigrants, such as microaggressions and discrimination, language barriers, difficulties obtaining a green card, and conflicts with cultural identity. These experiences fueled her aspirations to help other immigrants overcome similar barriers. As an aspiring lawyer, she aims to support the most vulnerable, whether they are people who are at risk of deportation or those who are victims of gross human rights violations by an oppressive regime. She recognizes that individuals with firsthand or similar experiences are often best equipped to serve and uplift their communities and aims to support these communities through the practical avenue of law. Through her internship with HRNK, she hopes to gain a deeper understanding of North Korean human rights issues as well as contribute to meaningful advocacy and tangible solutions to the situation.