North Korean Young Leaders Assembly 2026
Empower North Korea's Future Leaders
They didn't just escape North Korea. They're preparing to rebuild it.
Stand with the founders of a free Korea.
America was founded in 1776 by people who chose freedom over fear
In 1776, a handful of people with no army, no fortune, and no guarantee of tomorrow signed their names to a single belief: that every person is born free. That signature built a nation.
Two hundred fifty years later, there is still a place on Earth where holding that same belief can cost you your life — North Korea. And there are young people who escaped it carrying that exact dream: to one day build a free homeland of their own.
This July, as America marks 250 years of independence, ten of them will gather in the United States — not as refugees, but as the future founders of a free North Korea.
Campaign Progress
$16,500 raised — only $18,500 to go
Help us reach $35,000 to send all 10 young leaders to Washington this July.
Founder's Note
This July 2026, the 4th North Korean Young Leaders Assembly comes to America — in the very year America turns 250. Ten young people who chose freedom over fear will gather here to do something extraordinary: to draw the blueprint of the homeland they were forced to flee. They will sit across from lawmakers, diplomats, and human rights leaders, and they will speak for the millions who still cannot. Your gift today is more than a donation. It is the first signature on the founding of a free North Korea. We are $18,500 away from bringing all ten here. Please stand with these future leaders.
With all my heart,
Hyunseung Lee, Founder, NKYLA
From Survival to Leadership
Every year, brave young North Koreans escape one of the most oppressive regimes on Earth. But escape is only the beginning. Tearing down a wall is not the same as building what comes after — and history's every liberation needed both courage and people prepared to lead.
That is what the North Korean Young Leaders Assembly builds. Each year, our U.S.-based leadership and diplomacy program brings ten North Korean escapees face to face with lawmakers, diplomats, think tanks, and global human rights experts — turning survivors into the strategists, advocates, and founders a free Korea will one day need.
From Escapee to Founder: Meet Hyunseung Lee
Hyunseung Lee was born in North Korea, escaped its dictatorship, and rebuilt his life as a scholar, strategist, and human rights advocate. Today he is the founder of the North Korean Young Leaders Assembly. He built NKYLA to give others what he never had: a global platform, direct access to the people who shape policy, and the power to change lives far beyond their own survival. He is proof of what these ten young people can become — and of what your gift makes possible.
What Your Donation Supports
Education & Leadership Training
First-hand exposure to U.S. foreign policy, international law, and unification strategy. The knowledge to one day govern, not just survive.
Global Advocacy
Public testimony at the UN, media interviews, and direct engagement with policymakers. A voice for the millions who have none.
Healing Through Community
Cultural exchange and the reclaiming of a North Korean identity that the regime tried to erase.
Voices of Courage
"I once believed I had no voice. But in Washington D.C., I stood in front of diplomats, senators, and UN leaders—and shared the truth I once risked my life to hide"
-2023 Participant
Escaped after witnessing brutal purges
"I was born into the 'hostile class'-treated as less than human. Today, I'm thriving in university and speaking truth to power."
-2024 Participant
Graduate student & Public speaker
"I hid in China for years, always at risk of repatriation. Now I help others find their voice."
-2025 Participant
Author & Human rights advocate
Your Donation, Their Future
Two hundred fifty years ago, a few people signed their names and a free nation was born.
This year, the pen is yours.
Activity
Together, We Can Light a Way Forward
These young people are no longer running from North Korea. They are running toward a future of dignity, justice, and unification — and they are almost ready to build it. The only question is whether they'll have what they need when the moment comes. Today, you can answer that.
Sign the next founding. Donate now →