Representatives from the nonprofit organization, Liberty in North Korea, came to speak about their mission as well as show a documentary in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union on Monday. The presentation was sponsored by the Korean Student Association and the Committee on Lectures.

The documentary, “The People’s Crisis,” gave an inside look at life in North Korea, as well as what the nonprofit organization is currently trying to do in order to make a difference in the lives of the citizens in that nation.

Following introductions of the two LiNK team members, the documentary was shown with a brief Q-and-A session at the end.

Philippe Lazard, of Santa Barbara, Calif., opened up by explaining the mission of LiNK. The mission, he said, is to begin by changing the perception about what life is like in North Korea, then recruiting people to join the cause and make a difference in the lives of those suffering under the current regime.

“We want to see change, and we believe we will,” Lazard said. “But it will take support from all over the world.”

The documentary followed Lazard’s brief words, as the audience watched intently as the 50-minute film ran its course.

The film opened with testimonies from members of LiNK including, President Hannah Song and Vice President Justin Wheeler, describing their efforts to rescue refugees from North Korea and help them resettle in South Korea and the United States.

The history of the nation, including Kim Jong-il’s rise to power, was also explained in the video. It told of how Kim’s regime meant that more emphasis was placed on building the military than on the well-being of the nation’s citizens.

The documentary explained there are hundreds of political prison camps around the country that hold enemies of the country, and the conditions within the camps are terrible. Refugees who have escaped from the camp traveled across the border into China, where Song, Wheeler and others were waiting to bring them to the next checkpoint on their journey to freedom.

Testimonies from these refugees told about the chronic food-shortage, harsh living conditions and complete denial of freedoms in North Korea.

The journey of the LiNK team members and four refugees from the film was not an easy one, and they encountered many obstacles on their journey. They went through each leg of the journey with the constant fear of being captured, which almost undoubtedly would result in execution.

In the end, all four of the refugees were successfully resettled in either South Korea or the United States, and one is currently studying in the United States.

Up to this point, the rescue teams from LiNK have a 100 percent success rate.

Following the documentary, Lazard and his teammate answered questions about the documentary, life in North Korea and what the organization is currently planning as their next initiative.

The main campaign attempting to change perception, called Shift, states “anything to change and challenge the perception of life in North Korea,” Lazard said.

He said a primary goal in this campaign is to change the media’s agenda from talking about the nuclear weapon campaign in North Korea and focus more on the livelihood of its people.

More information about the nonprofit organization Liberty in North Korea can be found at its website, libertyinnorthkorea.org.