A Lifelong Commitment to Engagement wiht North Korea
For decades, Swiss humanitarian worker Heidi Zellweger has dedicated her career to fostering understanding and providing aid to the people of North Korea. Her work, initially conducted through a program managed from Hong Kong, began with providing essential food aid and evolved to encompass long-term growth initiatives. These included supporting agricultural cooperatives, assisting hospitals, and implementing training programs – a pioneering approach at the time.
Zellweger emphasizes the importance of a respectful and impartial approach when working with North Koreans. This philosophy underpinned a collaboration with a Swiss aid association that ultimately led to the establishment of the Pyongyang Business School. For four years, the school offered young North Koreans opportunities for training, conferences, and study trips.
Driven by a specific need, Zellweger founded KorAid, a non-profit organization focused on addressing the significant disability rate within North Korea. Recognizing that approximately 6.2% of the population - around 1.6 million people – live with disabilities, KorAid delivered over 30,000 rehabilitation programs between 2015 and 2019.
Throughout her extensive experience,Zellweger has developed a deep admiration for the North Korean people,recognizing their “courage and willpower” and their resilience in navigating challenging circumstances.
Regarding the path towards peace on the Korean Peninsula, Zellweger highlights the crucial role of the catholic Church in South Korea, praising its “perseverance and faith” in maintaining hope for reconciliation. She advocates for supporting organizations currently operating within North Korea, citing UNICEF‘s recent delivery of 2.7 million vaccine doses and 25 containers of food and medicine for malnourished children as a positive example.
Zellweger points to the dire humanitarian situation within North Korea, citing a 2022 World Food Program report indicating that over 10.7 million people – more than 40% of the population – suffer from malnutrition,and a 2025 Food Security Report showing 16.6% of children under five experience stunted growth. She stresses the importance of investing in the country’s children and healthcare as a foundation for a more stable future.
Her vision for lasting peace centers on “peace diplomacy,” encompassing peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding - all reliant on negotiation and dialogue. Zellweger believes that true peace extends beyond formal treaties and requires building trust and fostering effective dialogue across all sectors of society, including government, the private sector, civil society, academia, and youth.
Acknowledging the current challenges of engaging with a largely closed-off North Korea, Zellweger suggests focusing on initiatives within south Korea, such as leveraging the prospect presented by World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul to engage young people globally.She also notes a perceived lack of enthusiasm among South Korean youth regarding the North and the future of the peninsula, advocating for increased awareness-raising efforts within Catholic universities and schools to cultivate a more hopeful and productive relationship with their North Korean counterparts.
