Getting out of North Korea is only the first border.
We assist people escaping North Korea and stand beside them through what follows: financial independence, safety from exploitation, psychological recovery, and a lasting support network.
Distance is the easy part. Belonging is what takes years.
Every year, people make the decision to leave North Korea, a decision made in silence, often at enormous personal risk, and rarely with any guarantee of what comes after.
Silent Passage Project exists to make the "after" less uncertain. We provide direct support across the parts of this journey that get the least attention: coordinating safe passage, funding the costs of resettlement, and building a support network that lasts well beyond arrival.
We are not a government agency. We work directly with trusted networks in border regions and in resettlement communities to deliver this support, and we're upfront on this page about what's operational today versus what we're still building.
What the crossing sounds like, from those who made it
These accounts come from people who escaped North Korea. We share them because statistics don't carry what a single sentence, spoken plainly, can.
"In North Korea, our fate was to farm, and then die."M., age 52
"I felt no fear, but it wasn't because I was brave. Everything happened so quickly."S., age 29
"Would a real mom actually leave their child?"H., age 45
"For 3,000 miles, it felt like I was holding my breath."J., age 33
"I felt like I was losing everything, including my own body, to someone I didn't even know. I was only 18."Y., age 24
"For three days, the broker paraded me around villages in northern China, and crowds of men gathered to bid on me. He finally found a man willing to pay enough, and I was sold for $3,000."K., age 31
Direct support, at every stage
We're a volunteer-run organization providing direct support at each stage of this journey: from coordinating passage, to funding resettlement, to staying involved well after arrival. Here's what's operational today.
Safe passage coordination
We work with trusted intermediaries in border regions to coordinate safe passage through third-party countries before final resettlement.
Initial resettlement funds
Upon arrival, escapees often lack funds for housing, legal fees, and medical screening. We help provide sponsorship to support these often-overlooked costs.
Interpretation, translation & mentorship
Interpretation and translation services, paired with 1:1 mentorship matching with professionals in relevant fields, help people get acclimated and become self-reliant in society.
Psychological recovery
Escapees suffer from PTSD and cognitive dissonance due to years of state propaganda. We provide access to therapy and language training, delivered by licensed professionals.
You don't need a border crossing to make a difference.
Awareness moves slowly and then all at once. Here's where to start, in the order most people find useful.
Understand the reality
Most misconceptions about defection come from outdated media. Read from human rights organizations and firsthand accounts before forming an opinion.
See our reading list →Raise it with others
This issue stays invisible when it's only discussed by specialists. Bring it up. Share what you learn with people who've never thought about it.
Sign the pledge →Get involved directly
We're volunteer-run and growing. If you have time, relevant language skills, or professional experience that could help, we want to hear from you.
Donate →To those who've made the crossing, and to those still deciding to
We see you as we would want to be seen ourselves: not as a statistic, not as a cautionary tale, but as someone building a life worth living.
We believe the right to think freely, speak freely, and go where you choose isn't something to be earned. It is already yours.
We believe no one should have to risk their life to claim rights that should have been theirs from the start.
We cannot know what the crossing has cost you. What we can do is keep showing up, in whatever ways are available to us, long after the story stops making headlines.
This is what we are committing to: funding what we can, connecting who we can, and staying involved for as long as it takes.
Sign the pledge
Add your name. We'll follow up with ways to get involved based on how you'd like to help.
Thank you for signing the pledge. We'll be in touch about ways to get involved.
Donate
Your contribution goes directly toward safe passage coordination, resettlement funds, mentorship, and psychological recovery support.
If we're ever unable to direct your support toward the initiative at the time it's given, funds and outreach will be rerouted through partner organizations already doing this work, rather than held or delayed.
Worth Reading
Outside reporting and firsthand accounts worth your time, newest first.
Timeline
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December 2025
Founder arrives in Korea
In a small restaurant on the outskirts of Seoul, a brief conversation with its North Korean owner inspires this organization.
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June 2026
Silent Passage Project begins
A small team of volunteers comes together to start the work.
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September 2026
Incorporated as a registered nonprofit
Silent Passage Project is incorporated as a registered nonprofit.
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Next
Fundraiser events
Our first fundraising events are in the works. Details will be posted here.
Who's behind this
Jacob Schultz
FounderI found this cause over a bowl of soup. The woman who made it had escaped North Korea and between orders she told me what the crossing had cost her. Thirty years later, she was still adjusting. I kept thinking about it long after I left. Silent Passage Project exists so no one who makes that crossing has to carry what comes after alone.
Michelle Paras
Director of Women's SafetyPlaceholder
Mason Powell
Director of Economic IntegrationPlaceholder
Matthew Sau
Research & Field EngagementPlaceholder
Jason Luo
Director of Neuropsychological RecoveryPlaceholder
Say hello
Whether you want to volunteer, share a resource, or just ask a question, we read everything that comes in.
hello@silentpassageproject.org