HanmiGlobal 'Ddaddeuthan Donghaeng' Supported North Korean Defector Youth Earns PhD in the US

Chairman Kim Jong-hoon (right) of HanmiGlobal, who serves as the chairman of the social welfare corporation Warm Companion, is taking a commemorative photo with Dr. Kim Sung-ryul at the HanmiGlobal headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 17th. Photo by HanmiGlobal

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyul Hwang] HanmiGlobal announced on the 17th that Kim Seong-ryeol (37), a North Korean defector youth supported by the social welfare corporation Ddaddeuthan Donghaeng, has obtained a doctoral degree from a university in the United States.

On the same day, Kim visited the HanmiGlobal headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and expressed his gratitude to Kim Jong-hoon, chairman of HanmiGlobal and chairman of Ddaddeuthan Donghaeng.

Originally from Chongjin, Hamgyongbuk-do, Kim defected from North Korea in September 2004 and settled in South Korea with his family. Having dropped out of middle school in North Korea, Kim completed the elementary, middle, and high school curricula through the qualification exam in just one year and three months in South Korea and entered the International Studies Department at Handong University. After graduation, he majored in Unification Studies at Yonsei University Graduate School.

In 2018, Kim was admitted to the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University Graduate School in New York State, USA, and obtained his doctoral degree after three years and six months of studying abroad. Ddaddeuthan Donghaeng supported Kim’s tuition and living expenses during his studies abroad.

Kim said, “I am sincerely grateful to Chairman Kim Jong-hoon and Ddaddeuthan Donghaeng for enabling me to achieve my dream,” and added, “I will continue my research and strive to fulfill my role for the Korean Peninsula and the international community.”

Chairman Kim responded, “Dr. Kim Seong-ryeol has become a successful role model for North Korean defector youth, inspiring many to dream big.”

Founded in 2010, the social welfare corporation Ddaddeuthan Donghaeng operates under the slogan “A Warm World Without Disabilities” and supports not only people with disabilities but also North Korean defectors.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.