Liberty in North Korea's main purpose is to work alongside the North Korean people to accelerate change by focusing in two main strategic areas: working directly with North Korean refugees, and changing the way the world views North Korea.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
74¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 30 volunteers and 18 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $264K a year · 6% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
74%
of spending
Fine: 74% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$586K
to officers and key staff · 12% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 12% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $1.3M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 3.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $30K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$351K
11% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 11% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
11
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 11 of 12 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$4.9M
+9% vs prior year
Spent
$4.9M
To programs
74%
Net assets
$2.9M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$4.9M
FY2024▲ +9%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$3.2M
FY2021$4.7M
FY2022$4.1M
FY2023$4.5M
FY2024$4.9M
Expenses
$4.9M
FY2024▼ -9%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$2.7M
FY2021$3.0M
FY2022$4.0M
FY2023$5.4M
FY2024$4.9M
Net assets
$2.9M
FY2024▼ -1%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$2.1M
FY2021$3.8M
FY2022$3.9M
FY2023$3.0M
FY2024$2.9M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Mar 2005.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

74 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 74% · $3.7M Management & general 12% · $587K Fundraising 14% · $686K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Something off? Claim to add context

Who runs it and what they're paid

15 people listed on the 990; $586K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Chief Executive Officer
$176,464Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Financial Officer
$168,858Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary, Chief of Staff
$132,848Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Major Gifts
$108,310Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Hannah Song’s $176K as Chief Executive Officer is at the 69th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1168 $1–10M international nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 7 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Hannah Song$176,464$151,501$158,780$128,700$111,900
John Mooney$168,858$148,265$145,779$123,600$121,200
Angeline Kim$132,848$113,333$104,120$101,740$84,168
Jeannie Lee$108,310————
Esther Ahn———$89,201—
Esther Ahn to 622——$71,820——
Joshua Chan————$57,250

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Link Global executive salaries →

On this list? Claim this org

Something off? Claim to add context

Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Helps North Korean refugees and changes global views of North Korea.

Questions for Link Global

Tap to ask. Link Global sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. Link Global answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

Know this org? Add your story

3 programs · $3.1M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Changing the Narrative

While dictators and nuclear missiles command headlines about north korea, they erase the real heart of the country its people. Link amplifies north korean voices through online media, documentaries, and events, and empowers north koreans to take authorship over their own stories.

$1.2Mprogram expense
02

Capacity Building

As north koreans resettle and begin navigating their new lives, many aspire to not only find success, but also work towards impacting this issue. We identify current needs in the defector community and develop programs to increase access to education, skill-building, and career opportunities.

$985Kprogram expense
03

Rescue & Resettlement

We help north korean refugees reach freedom through a 3,000-MILE secret rescue route from northern china to southeast asia. From there, north koreans can safely resettle in south korea or the us. Our team helps them succeed in their new lives with financial assistance, community building, and access to resources and services.

$947Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$30K
Grants paid · 7 grants · $238K · 2020–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$76,800
Unitemized GrantFY2024$4,500
Unitemized GrantFY2023$79,000
Unitemized GrantFY2023$16,400
Unitemized GrantFY2022$26,965
Unitemized GrantFY2021$9,796
Unitemized GrantFY2020$25,000

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$4.9M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.8M
Investment incomeLn 3$118K
Other incomeLn 4–11$10K
Money outPt IX
$4.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$3.7M
Managementcol C$587K
Fundraisingcol D$686K
Owns and owesPt X
$2.9M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.3M
Total assetsLn 16$3.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$351K
PeoplePt VI, VII
15
listed · VII A
PaidVII A4
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b11
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.8M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$208K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$1.3M
Investment incomeLn 3$118K
Other incomeLn 4–11$10K
Gains on assetsLn 7$33K
Total revenueLn 12$4.9M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$793K
SavingsLn 2$464K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.3M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$1.3M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$62K
Other assetsLn 15$181K
Total assetsLn 16$3.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$351K
Net assetsLn 32$2.9M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 518
VolunteersI 630
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.2M$1.3M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$1.5M$1.3M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$53K$62K
Total assetsLn 16$3.3M$3.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$390K$351K
Net assetsLn 32$3.0M$2.9M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$121K$121K
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$428K$428K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$551K$350K$164K$38K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.8M$1.4M$91K$370K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$80K$59K$4K$16K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$313K$229K$26K$59K
Payroll taxesLn 10$135K$86K$17K$32K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$32K$32K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$55K$55K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$119K$88K$18K$12K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$13K$13K
Office expensesLn 13$13K$5K$3K$5K
Information technologyLn 14$148K$135K$4K$8K
OccupancyLn 16$115K$94K$9K$12K
TravelLn 17$242K$151K$59K$32K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$23K$17K$4K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$14K$107$14K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$678K$478K$44K$157K
All other expensesLn 24e$14K$30K$94K−$111K
Total functional expensesLn 25$4.9M$3.7M$587K$686K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $4.9M$4.9M−$42K$2.9M 990 PDF
FY2023 $4.5M$5.4M−$937K$3.0M 990 PDF
FY2022 $4.1M$4.0M$123K$3.9M 990 PDF
FY2021 $4.7M$3.0M$1.7M$3.8M 990 PDF
FY2020 $3.2M$2.7M$514K$2.1M 990 PDF

More to add? Claim this org

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $4,888,986 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $4,456,529$4,761,032
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $97,964$117,593
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$67,046$10,361
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $4,487,447$4,888,986
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $719,224$548,420
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $2,734,434$2,913,756
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$55,000
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,971,045$1,413,719
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $5,424,703$4,930,895
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$937,256−$41,909
Part VI · Governance 11 of 12 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
VI-1b Independent voting members11
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $4,888,986 across 10 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $2,351 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1c Fundraising events$1,317,563
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$3,443,469
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$207,755
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$4,761,032
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $84,426$84,426
VIII-5 RoyaltiesExcluded from tax $1,145$1,145
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $33,167$33,167
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $6,865$6,865
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $127,954$4,888,986
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $4,930,895 across 20 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $120,734$120,734
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $427,686$427,686
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $349,657 · Management $163,565 · Fundraising $37,576$550,798
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,373,896 · Management $91,320 · Fundraising $370,232$1,835,448
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $59,401 · Management $4,396 · Fundraising $16,017$79,814
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $228,511 · Management $25,655 · Fundraising $58,593$312,759
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $86,081 · Management $17,225 · Fundraising $31,631$134,937
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $3,200$3,200
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $31,622$31,622
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $55,000$55,000
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $88,469 · Management $18,410 · Fundraising $11,784$118,663
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $13,399$13,399
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,989 · Management $2,576 · Fundraising $5,401$12,966
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $135,106 · Management $4,493 · Fundraising $8,250$147,849
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $94,303 · Management $9,135 · Fundraising $11,787$115,225
IX-17 TravelPrograms $150,670 · Management $59,276 · Fundraising $31,690$241,636
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $17,483 · Management $3,545 · Fundraising $1,822$22,850
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $107 · Management $14,116$14,223
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $477,644 · Management $43,789 · Fundraising $156,998$678,431
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $30,269 · Management $94,266 · Fundraising −$110,880$13,655
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $3,658,405 · Management $586,589 · Fundraising $685,901$4,930,895
Part X · Balance sheet $3,265,120 assets, 16 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,224,405$792,552
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $0$464,172
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $317,724$412,514
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $22,745$23,934
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $23,801$19,189
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $53,230$61,839
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $1,482,569$1,309,660
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $220,939$181,260
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $3,345,413$3,265,120
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $182,894$173,171
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $206,833$178,172
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $389,727$351,343
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $2,869,203$2,750,094
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $86,483$163,683
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $2,955,686$2,913,777
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $3,345,413$3,265,120
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $2,913,777 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$4,888,986
XI-2 Total expenses$4,930,895
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$41,909
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$2,955,686
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$2,913,777

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

Similar organizations you could support · Compare with another nonprofit

Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

Your org? Add context

Made it to the end? Claim this org

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the pay comparisons above.