Executive Board 2020-2021
Rebecca Park
Co-President
Hello! My name is Rebecca Park and I am currently a 3rd year Political Science Major also minoring in Music Industry. I am from Columbus, Ohio (go bucks!!) and I spend a lot of my time playing music, baking, and exploring different restaurants and cafes because I love to eat. I first joined LiNK because the stories of North Korean individuals really put me in a state of shock as our worlds seemed to be complete polar opposites. I hope to continue listening to their stories so that they feel heard as well as become a voice for the voiceless by sharing their stories.
Joy Youn
Co-President
Hello! My name is Joy, and I am a 4th-year Biology major minoring in global health. I’m from Korea, and one of my biggest hobbies is discovering cute cafes and spending time with my friends.
My interest in LiNK stemmed from my grandmother, who was born from the North side of Korea prior to the Korean War. Learning more about the challenges the people face in the country inspired me to join LiNK and advocate for the people’s rights and freedom. I strive to shift the focus from politics to the people in North Korea and learn to be a better human rights advocate to effectively spread awareness to our community.
Ian Wahagheghe
Internal Vice President
Greetings, I’m Ian, and I am a third-year Environmental Science major and Environmental Engineering minor from Santa Clarita, CA. As an Indonesian American, I never really grew up around people of the same background, so I have always been interested in the lives of underrepresented demographics. Though my involvement with LiNK goes back to high school, I’ve stuck around because UCLA’s LiNK club is truly an authentic space to inform myself about and help the North Korean people, who are not only underrepresented outside of North Korea, but also misrepresented often. I hope that despite our club being online for the time being, I can use this digital platform to raise awareness of North Korean people’s situations and create lasting relationships with individuals beyond our own UCLA community.
Elsie Chen
Social Media Director
Hi everyone! My name is Elsie, and I am currently a 2nd-year at UCLA! At the moment, I am pursuing a psychology and economics double major. I really enjoy reading, going to concerts, and hanging out with my friends. I would also consider myself a foodie because I always love eating at new, delicious places!
I discovered LiNK at the Enormous Activities Fair, and it was one of the few clubs that made an impression on me because of its amazing purpose! Before I joined the team, I wasn’t entirely educated about the circumstances of North Korea. Now, I strive to spread awareness about the human rights issue in North Korea by initiating those conversations with the individuals in my community.
Jessica Pham
Publicity Director
Hello, my name is Jessica and I am a 4th-year Asian American studies major, minoring in global health. I'm from sunny San Diego so some of my favorite activities include going to the beach with friends and eating diverse cultural food. I love animals and I have a pet Chiweenie and turtle.
I joined LiNK because I'm very big on social activism and doing humanitarian work. Helping out others while keeping myself informed about what's happening around the world gives me great pride. My family are refugees from Vietnam ourselves and so I can relate to many of the issues and missions that LiNK is fighting for. I hope to be able to help educate others on refugee issues and do my part as a social activist.
Megan Schmid
Finance Director
Hi! My name’s Megan, and I’m a second-year Linguistics & Computer Science major with a minor in Asian Languages (Korean)! I’m from Southern Orange County, and I’ve been spending my summer bingeing TV series/KDramas and embroidering. My grandparents emigrated from North Korea before starting a family here in the US, so I’ve been interested in the country for quite some time. I found out about LiNK in high school and have been a committed member ever since! I hope that through our club we can support the North Korean citizens in their pursuit of liberty and that through spreading awareness we can begin to frame the conversation about North Korea around the people rather than the corrupt regime.
Andrew Kim
Co-Community Director
Wassup guys! My name is Andrew and I am a second-year Psychobiology major. I'm from Torrance, CA in South LA county (about 18 miles south of UCLA). I am really into fitness and anything involving the outdoors/ nature such as hiking and surfing! I joined LiNK as a lot of my family history is rooted in the Korean War and have been inspired by my grandparents’ stories to do my part in helping my fellow Koreans to the North. This year I hope to help LiNK grow as an organization at UCLA and really get to know and welcome all of you guys who are interested in becoming a part of our club!
Allyson Mabul
Co-Community Director
Hello! My name is Allyson Mabul, and I am a 3rd year Global Studies Major, minoring in Asian Languages- Japanese. I was born in Quezon City, Philippines, but grew up for most of my life in the small town of Salinas, California. I have a passion for travel and learning new languages, as well as pursue singing and dance as a hobby.
My interest in LiNK and its works started with my desire to serve international communities and learn about humanitarian affairs. Attending one of LiNK’s speaker events and hearing, firsthand from a North Korean refugee, the realities of a common man and woman trapped within the North Korean borders challenged my perspective and encouraged me to become an advocate. Through LiNK, I want to be able to continue to offer my hands and voice for those who are forced to suppress their own.
Susanna Kim
Fundraising Director
Hi everyone! My name is Susanna, and I am a 3rd-year political science and economics major. I love to travel and explore, and one of my favorite hobbies is writing letters to my penpals from all around the world.Â
My interest in LiNK started in high school when I met a professional accordion player who was a refugee from North Korea. Since then, I have become really passionate about educating myself on different issues that the people of North Korea face. WIth LiNK, I hope to amplify North Korean voices and spread more awareness about humanitarian issues in North Korea.
Andrew Jang
Fundraising Director
Hi y’all! My name is Andrew and I’m a second-year Biology major from San Jose, California. Some of my hobbies include traveling, playing sports, and finding new and unique places to eat!
Hearing first hand from North Korean refugees about their experiences was a really eye-opening experience, and I joined LiNK at UCLA to get more involved in advocating for and helping the North Korean people. Through this club, I hope to raise awareness about the North Korean people and share their stories to a wider audience.
Myung Hye Cho
Fundraising Director
Hello! My name is Myung Hye Cho, and I am a 4th-year Political Science major and minoring global studies.Â
I am from South Korea, and I like to eat, so I like to find good restaurants.
As a Korean, I have always been interested in North Korea. I chose my major because I wanted to study the miserable human rights situation in North Korea and the connection between North Korea and the world.
At LINK, I can inspire this kind of academic interest, see more detail about what's going on in the field, and help North Korean refugees.
Through LINK, I hope to understand the reality of North Korean refugees and help them in practice.