NGO Engagement with North Korea: Dilemmas and Lessons Learned

This article explores the dilemmas that nongovernmental organizations in particular face in dealing with North Korea, considering both the experience of international aid workers in responding to other emergencies, and the peculiar aspects of working in the so-called “Hermit Kingdom.” Some of the dilemmas of working in North Korea are common to complex emergencies, while others are due to the unique characteristics of the Korean situation that challenge the prevailing assumptions and modes of operation of international aid workers. The relations between the problems of North Korea’s economic development and the international political situation surrounding the Korean peninsula are discussed, along with some lessons that can be learned from the Nautilus Institute’s experiences in working on renewable energy issues in the North. Engagement of North Korea, the article concludes, is a long-haul process that is necessary to promote reconciliation and build peace on the Korean peninsula.