PROJECT INTRODUCTION
This project is a celebration of life and freedom.
We are producing a hip hop music video and short "making of" documentary film. You will first be sending Kang Chun Hyuk, a North Korean defector, to hip hop boot camp if you will where he will learn under the tutelage of Yang Dong Geun, a well known South Korean actor and hip-hop artist, as well as Woody Pak, an accomplished music composer who worked on the hip hop documentary Planet B-boy.
The hip hop lyrics will convey the thoughts and experiences of Kang Chun Hyuk, a North Korean defector who fled North Korea when he was twelve years old and made his way into South Korea via China and Southeast Asia. Yang Dong Geun and Woody Pak will guide the artistic direction of the music and video production.
The music video and documentary that you will fund will help other North Korean defectors in their journey to freedom by allowing them to find their voice, speak boldly and celebrate life after having gained their freedom. We hope to expand this program once successful to the greater North Korean defector population by partnering with the leading higher institutions of arts and theater in South Korea to hold a formal seminar style program teaching hip-hop and other arts.
If you help us produce this music you will help many North Koreans gain their freedom physically by funding their way to South Korea. Funds raised beyond production costs and from the sales and distribution of the finished music video and documentary will go directly towards the programs of NKHR and an ongoing North Korean refugee rescue fund (www.nkhrrescuefund.org).
You will also allow many North Koreans to gain freedom mentally as they must learn how to free their minds from totalitarian brain washing and all encompassing oppression. We plan to distribute the music and video internationally through the internet with partners in the South Korea, United States, Germany United Kingdom and affillaties throughout the world.
PROJECT PARTICIPANTS
Kang Chun Hyuk is a North Korean defector who fled North Korea at sixteen years old and arrived in South Korea in 2001. He is a senior art major at Hongik University, a leading university of art studies in Korea and was assisted by NKHR in resettling to South Korea. Since his resettlement, Chun Hyuk has illustrated children’s books and is a regular art contributor to NKHR’s monthly newsletter, international conferences and art exhibits. He aspires to continue to develop as an artist and with this project in music.
Kang Chun Hyuk
Chun Hyuk recently auditioned for South Korean MNET Channel's "Show Me The Money 3" which is an American idol style contest featuring celebrity hip hop judges and aspiring hip hop artists as contestants. The episode below aired in South Korea on July 2, 2014 at 11 pm Korea Standard Time.
Lyrics from MNET Show Me The Money freestyle rap audition:
"Friends, please pay attention (in North Korean dialect). My name is Kang Hyuk. I came from Hamgyung buk do, Onsung. There Lee Sul Joo is the mother of the country. But she is not my eo-meo-ni (mother). My mother caught tubercolosis while imprisoned in an aoji (mining prison camp). You took money that we made digging earth to fund nuclear weapons. Take out that fat from your pot belly. Nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons. I am not afraid. Go ahead attack me. That's why I'm here in an attacking audition. Give me back that dirtied money. SHOW ME THE MONEY."
Excerpts from MNET interview:
"I was born in Hamgyung Buk -Do. I escaped North Korea when I was twelve years old. Next door to me people would just die from hunger."
"I am an artist and draw scenes portraying what its like in North Korea. I want to now rap about life in North Korea.
"I want to become the greatest rapper from North Korea."
"North Korean Soldier"
Original Watercolor Art by Kang Chun Hyuk
"North and South Korea Through My Eyes"
Original Oil Painting by Kang Chun Hyuk
Yang Dong Geun aka YDG a well-known South Korean hip-hop artist, actor, and Show Me the Money judge has agreed to volunteer his time to teach Chun Hyuk how to rap. YDG has been an actor since nine years old and hip hop artist since his late teens. He has acted in many television dramas, films, and music videos as well as having produced and performed his own hip-hop music.
http://asianwiki.com/Yang_Dong-Geun
Yang Dong Geun Actor
Yang Dong Geun Hip Hop Artist
Yang Dong Guen Producer
Woody Pak, an accomplished musical composer and Professor at one of Korea’s leading higher education for the arts, Seoul Arts Institute, has agreed to lend his composer skills in creating the music video. Woody has composed music for numerous movies such as Planet BBoy, television commercials, and musical plays. www.woodypak.com
Woody Pak Arirang TV Innerview
Woody Pak Composed Soundtrak
Susan Lee MacDonald - Arirang TV Talk Show Host Innerview - Project Consultant
As the host of the new talk show INNERview, host Susan Lee MacDonald invites you along with her as she gets to know some of Korea’s most fascinating personalities, from well-known celebrities and performers to extraordinary people who are making an impact on the world in diverse ways. Having had a long career in television and the arts Susan will advise on public and media relations.
Roland Chi is Global Projects Coordinator for the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR). He first worked for NKHR nearly fifteen years ago where he first met Kang Chun Hyuk, this project's main character, who had been in South Korea for a little over a year at the time. Meeting Chun Hyuk and other North Korean defectors who had fully embraced their new found freedoms in South Korea to become accomplished artists, doctoral students, authors, lawyers and even National Assemblymen inspired him to tell their story.
SPONSORING ORGANIZATION
The Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR,
www.nkhumanrights.or.kr) is registered non-profit organization, in South Korea
founded in 1996 focusing on improving the human rights in North Korea through
international advocacy.
NKHR endeavors to accomplish these goals in the following
ways:
1)
Collects and publicizes facts and other
information on the current North Korean human rights situation, particularly
regarding political prison camps.
2)
Advises international organizations to prosecute
and condemn the North Korean human rights situation, particularly with respect
to political prison camps.
3)
Protects the lives and human rights of North Korean
refugees.
4)
Assists North Korean re-settlers living in South
Korea by focusing on youth education.
5)
Coordinates efforts with other human rights
organizations to fulfill the objectives mentioned above.
The Citizens’ Alliance For North Korean Human Rights has
produced many documentaries over its nearly 20 year history highlighting different aspects of the situation of human
rights in North Korea.
https://www.youtube.com/user/CitizensAllianceNKHR/videos
PRODUCTION COSTS
We are asking for $$35,000 to cover the costs associated with producing a music album and a
behind the scenes documentary video highlighting Kang Chun Hyuk’s life in North
and South Korea. Crowdfunding campaigns
will also be taking place in South Korea on tumblbug.com (www.tumblbug.com/nkhr)
with a fundraising goal of $15,000 and Germany on betterplace.org (www.betterplace.org/p20186) for a fundraising
goal of $10,000. The total raised from Indiegogo is targeted at $10,000.
In kind donations that would offset
production costs and will use the monies saved directly into the rescue of
North Korean refugees.
REWARDS/PERKS
Any donations above production costs will be used to augment
NKHR’s programs for international advocacy, rescuing North Korean defectors,
and resettling North Korean defectors.
If we don’t reach our goal all proceeds will go to NKHR’s programs (www.nkhumanrights.or.kr). Korean residents will be able to received a tax deduction for their donation.
Our perks:
$10
|
Downloadable Digital Song(s)
|
$20
|
Downloadable Digital Behind The Scenes Documentary Music Video
|
$30
|
Mug (white)
|
$50
|
Set of Mugs (green and white)
|
$100
|
Artwork - Personally Signed by Kang Chun Hyuk
|
$150
|
Signed Photograph of Yang Dong Geun and Kang Chun Hyuk, Listing on video credits and donor.
|
$200
|
VIP SeatingBeautiful Dream Concert (August 26, 2014) Tickets
for Two
|
$1,000
|
Dinner meeting with YDG and Kang Chun Hyuk
|
$2,000
|
Executive Producer Credit at the End of Music Video
|
Our beautiful mugs usually sold in support of ongoing fundraising efforts to rescue North Korean refugees. (www.nkhrrescuefund.org)
The following listed artwork is a sample of Kang Chun Hyuk’s
work. Original pieces will be
commissioned for this campaign.
North Korean Schoolboys - Kang Chun Hyuk
North Korean Boy Gathering Fire Wood - Kang Chun Hyuk
Dissension in North Korea - Kang Chun Hyuk
NKHR's largest fundraiser featuring the 8th Annual Beautiful Dream Concert in Seoul, Korea will be hosted by Korea University and take place on August 26th at 7 pm. The program will feature an evening of classical music featuring prominent classical music North Korean defector artists.
For updates and directions visit www.nkhumanrights.or.kr
THANK YOU!!!!!!!