HRNK Internship
Chief Coordinator at The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK)
Selected as the sole high school student entrusted with formal leadership responsibilities by Greg Scarlatoiu, HRNK president and preeminent activist.
Served as the principal editor of a US State Department grant proposal that secured $740,000+ in funding. The funding was for documenting human rights abuses and countering DPRK propaganda.
Directed Daily Press communications, distilling intricate human-rights reports into accessible updates that broadened public understanding and engagement for 2,554 Daily Press subscribers.
Researched and curated detailed profiles of key human-rights advocates, contributing verified content to the Internet Archive and Wikidata.
As Social Media Manager, scripted and edited weekly official YouTube videos of "The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea" channel to expand the organization's public engagement.
HRNK is one of the leading think tanks and NGOs dedicated to North Korean human rights, headquartered near the White House.
North Korea Human Rights International Symposium - Paper Presented
Co-authored the paper, with primary contributions to the writing; selected for presentation and delivered by HRNK's president at the symposium (entitled "The United States North Korean Human Rights Act (NKHRA) and the Canadian Human Rights in North Korea Act (M-94): A Brief Overview and the Way Forward").
For personal security reasons, my full name was withheld and replaced with the initials "L.S." (Liz Sim).
Featured on HRNK Insider; both the paper and its presentation received international recognition.
Read Paper on HRNK Insider (Official HRNK Publication)
The conference received coverage from The Chosun Daily, widely regarded in Korea as the equivalent of The New York Times.
Social Media Manager, The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
As Social Media Manager, scripted and edited weekly official YouTube videos of "The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea" channel to expand the organization's public engagement.
The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea - YouTube Channel
Documentary "Barbed Wire" - Directed by Elizabeth Sim
If you visit the Chinese regions of Dandong and the Changbai County, you'll be able to see borders that directly connect China to North Korea. Despite North Korea's heavily isolated nature, these borders offer a rare glimpse into the mysterious country, and more importantly, these borders act as key passageways for people who want to escape North Korea. The documentary weaves my visit to Dandong and the Changbai County with my grandmother's story and North Korea's present human rights violations.
Research Project "Echoes of Freedom" - Researcher & Author
Authored a scholarly research paper under the guidance of Professor Carly Thomsen at Rice University.
Undertook a research project culminating in a paper that analyzes the profound parallels between the gender-based violence endured by women in North Korea and the exploitation confronting North Korean refugee women in China.
June 2026 - August 2026: Short Story Collection Highlighting North Korean Women - Author
Wrote a short story collection under the guidance of Professor Carly Thomsen, co-founder of the Center for Public Feminism at Rice University.
Each story is centered around the experiences of North Korean women: the first story depicts the difficult nature of making the decision to escape North Korea, the second story depicts the harsh realities of North Korean women defectors who live in hiding in China, and the third story depicts the solidarity that formed among women during the Arduous March famine, when poverty compelled women to engage in trade among one another, a practice that was banned by the North Korean government.
2023 - Present: Amnesty International (Milton) - Co-Head
In collaboration with The F-Word (Milton’s feminist magazine), published a literary issue titled “Women in Conflicts.”
Collaborated with Magus Mabus Music to host an open mic night with a human rights-themed segment that included poetry reading, singing, and piano playing.
Collaborated with the Gospel Choir at a Gospel Explosion night to spread awareness about Ecuador’s gas flare contamination, the Indigenous Masai people’s struggles for land preservation, and the Philippines’ harmful nickel mining projects.
Held petition-signing events for female survivors of Boko Haram, preservation of the Ministry of Gender Equality in South Korea, and humanitarian aid for the Myanmar earthquake.
July 2026: Notre Dame Leadership Seminars, “Global Issues: Violence and Peace in the Modern Age” - Participant
Delivered a winning team presentation on epistemic violence against Indigenous peoples.
The presentation was selected as the best presentation of the seminar.
July 2026: Yale Young Global Scholars - Participant
Attended seminars on peacebuilding and classical literature. Awarded a simulated $8K grant on a $5K request for an anti-censorship & press rights capstone project.