Donald Trump and Kim Jung-Un,
*Screenshot courtesy of YouTube
By Gabe Segoine
In September 2018, the news broke that President Trump was open to a second meeting with Kim Jong-un. As someone with firsthand experience inside North Korea through humanitarian work, I had mixed emotions.
The past few years had brought real setbacks. Sanctions, the US travel ban, and shifting political tides had severely restricted our ability to operate. Yet, I also understood the Trump administration’s aim—to push for change in how the North traditionally engages with the outside world.
President Trump became the first sitting US president to meet a North Korean leader. Whatever one’s views of his politics, that move changed the landscape. Combined with South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s efforts to broker progress and Kim Jong-un’s willingness to engage, we saw the makings of something unthinkable just a year earlier: real diplomatic momentum.
From an NGO perspective, it’s been challenging. How do we move forward when the tools we’ve relied on—access, licenses, travel—are increasingly blocked?
On August 6, 2018, the UN created a new exemption process for humanitarian organizations. I immediately began working on applications for both the UN exemption and a license from the US Treasury Department (OFAC). It’s a costly and complex process, requiring legal help and time—resources I’d rather spend on clean water projects than compliance paperwork.
Still, I remain hopeful. Peace talks, if pursued in good faith, could reopen paths for engagement and development. Humanitarian work can support—not replace—diplomacy. NGOs like ours have the experience and trust on the ground to build bridges where others can’t.
I applaud Presidents Trump and Moon for their efforts to engage. If they—and Kim—continue moving forward, we might see lasting peace. That’s a win not just for policy, but for the people of Korea, and for those of us longing to get back to what matters most: helping them.
—Gabe Segoine
Gabe Segoine is the founder of LNKM and author of Surfing North Korea. He spent over a decade in Northeast Asia doing humanitarian work focused on the DPRK. Gabe now writes about culture, faith, and emerging AI from a deeply human perspective. His book Surfing North Korea and Other Stories from Inside can be found on Amazon.