Expat and Korean musicians will perform Saturday in Hongdae to raise money for a North Korean human rights organization.
The CLASH event at Club Freebird will raise funds for Justice For North Korea, a volunteer organization that works to improve human rights North of the Demilitarized Zone.
JFNK was founded and is led by a South Korean pastor who has made it his mission to help the North Korean people. They campaign for improved rights in the North and to improve the situation for refugees fleeing the harsh conditions there.
Dongmyo Police Box performs at a previous CLASH event. (My Seoul Photography)
One of the organizers of CLASH is Jane Park, who has been involved in North Korean issues for about 15 months and is in charge of North Korea Peace, which flies balloons into the North with socks and messages attached.
While North Korea Peace was on hiatus from balloon launches, she sought other options to help North Korea.
“When I heard about this event, I thought, if Justice for North Korea is involved, I’m in,” she said.
Park said she had first met the organizers of JFNK during the protests outside the Chinese Embassy last year urging Beijing to stop repatriating N.K. defectors.
“I think Justice for North Korea is one of the most committed and powerful groups that is working with North Korea,” she said.
The entertainment will be opened by singer-songwriter Tamara Kim, rapper KBomb and reggae artist JoshRoy. They will be followed by expat hip-hop from The Prime Minister of Sound and blues from Bluesnake.
In addition, there will be Korean hip-hop from ScoLL and acoustic rock from GnP.
A raffle will also be held to raise extra funds. Prizes include photo shoots, beauty products, and gym memberships.
JFNK will also give a short presentation explaining some things people might not know about the North Korea situation.
Saturday’s event will be the fourth CLASH. Previous editions have raised money for the Korean Unwed Mothers and Families Association, Angel House disabled shelter, and the Butterfly Fund, which supports victims of wartime sexual violence in Africa.
Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show runs until midnight. It is 15,000 won at the door plus a free drink; advance tickets are 10,000 won plus free drink.
For more information on JFNK, visit www.justice4nk.org/en. To find out more about the event, visit the CLASH Facebook page.
By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)