Getting hired in the NK field?

People drop by my office, request a Zoom call or ask me at events: “How can I get a job with a North Korea-focused non-governmental organization (NGO) in South Korea?”

I hate disappointing them, but the North Korea NGO field is small, most organizations are underfunded and understaffed, and recent funding cuts have made hiring less likely.

The first step to getting involved is the application process. First, learn about the organization and, if possible, participate in its activities before asking to volunteer. Then prepare and submit a strong application, as if you were applying for a paid job. (I once sent a seven-page application explaining what I could do.) If they don’t answer your initial email or application, follow up — but don’t complain on social media.

The second step, if you are accepted as a volunteer or intern, is to be a true self-starter. It might mean fundraising, recruiting other volunteers and handling difficult tasks. Don’t wait for managers to hand you tasks.

Securing an internship shows strong commitment and can help you build a track record. That’s important because job postings in this field are rare and most hires come from among volunteers and interns.

Many people assume NGOs are waiting for volunteers, but the reality is that it takes time for a typically underfunded and understaffed organization to manage volunteers. North Korea-related groups are not alone in this; no organization has the capacity to accept everyone who offers to help. That means those who are chosen need to stand out.

By taking up a leadership position, even as a volunteer or intern, you will make yourself a valuable team member, which can motivate executives to engage in fundraising to hire you (and you should join that process, too). Taking up a leadership position may, however, take away your innocence. Many join North Korea-related NGOs to directly work with North Korean refugees, but in a leadership position, you may need to focus on the organization rather than the beneficiaries.

The third step, if you cannot get hired, is to launch your own initiative. That means identifying a need, designing a process to meet it, convincing donors if you aren’t independently wealthy and then doing the unglamorous day-to-day work of keeping it alive. It can be done, but I recommend volunteering or interning first.

Job prospects have declined as many North Korea-related organizations have laid off staff due to funding reductions under the Trump administration. The government’s freeze of U.S. Agency for International Development, the suspension of funds for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the State Department’s halt of most overseas democracy and human rights grants have triggered widespread cutbacks. Organizations face the possibility of further reductions following the election of Lee Jae Myung in South Korea.

The International Republican Institute and National Democratic Institute have also scaled back their programs and support of Korea-based organizations.

Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights has already relocated to a smaller office. Deputy Director General Joanna Hosaniak, one of the first people I met when I began volunteering in this field in 2012, has warned in interviews that they may shut down.

Unification Media Group, the radio and media consortium where I co-hosted a podcast in 2014 with North Korean refugee Park Yeon-mi, has announced it may halt broadcasts into North Korea without renewed U.S. support. Other Korea-based organizations dependent on the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and NED grants — including Daily NK, North Korea Reform Radio and the Transitional Justice Working Group — reportedly face operational paralysis.

The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) has relocated to a smaller office and reduced staff. My co-founder, Lee Eun-koo, began her career there nearly two decades ago, and earlier this month I spoke again at a conference in Seoul alongside its executive director, Song Han-na.

While facing severe financial constraints, many NGOs have resorted to emergency fundraising, scaled back their programs and, as NKDB’s Song said, entered “survival mode” rather than shutting down outright.

Not all organizations have been affected. My own organization, Freedom Speakers International, has remained unscathed (so far). We weren’t receiving any grants from the U.S. government or its agencies, so there was nothing for President Trump to cut from us. We are now raising funds to hire a North Korean refugee and a new accountant, and we plan to hire an academic coordinator next year.

For those serious about entering this field, the key is to become indispensable as a volunteer by developing skills that cash-strapped organizations urgently need, such as fundraising or grant writing. At my organization, we are always open to individuals who bring resources rather than just enthusiasm. The pathway from volunteer to paid staff still exists, but today it demands exceptional dedication and the right timing.

Casey Lartigue Jr. (CJL@alumni.harvard.edu) is the co-founder of Freedom Speakers International with Lee Eun-koo and the co-author, with Han Song-mi, of her memoir "Greenlight to Freedom: A North Korean Daughter’s Search for Her Mother and Herself."