Contact: Erika Castle, 719-598-5869

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Feb. 25 /Standard Newswire/ -- As many university students are anxious for their Spring Break from classes like "English Composition I" and "Statistics", Underground University students are eager to continue in their classes like "Survival/Evasion/Resistance/Escape" and "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Recovery".

Underground University, a new project of Colorado Springs-based Seoul USA in partnership with Voice of the Martyrs-Canada, is a twelve month intensive program located in Seoul, South Korea designed to equip North Korean exiles with the tools they need to return and spread the Christian message to North Koreans inside North Korea, in China, and in the countries where North Korean diplomats and students are living abroad.

Traditional university students often use the spring to complete their financial arrangements for the upcoming school year, with U.S. students completing applications for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). There are no such governmental supports for North Korean exiles.

"We want to do everything we can to provide comprehensive training to those North Koreans who are eager to risk their lives by returning back inside North Korea and China to spread the Christian message," says Mrs. H.S. Foley, Executive Director for Seoul USA. "Underground University is funded through the generosity of champions who want to help those willing to take such a risk."

To give Colorado residents the opportunity to make a tangible difference in North Korea, Seoul USA is holding a banquet on April 2, 2009 at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. The banquet is free to guests, with dinner costs already covered by Seoul USA champions. An offering will be taken to raise funds for Underground University.

The banquet's featured speaker is Kim Sung Min, a North Korean defector and Dean of Underground University who has twice escaped from North Korea. Mr. Kim will share his harrowing story of escape and the hope he sees through Underground University.

"This banquet is a unique opportunity for the people of Colorado to hear the life-changing story of Mr. Kim, learn about the trials experienced by North Korean Christians, and get involved in a radical underground movement designed to change North Korea from the inside out," says Foley. "Everyone is invited to attend and bring family and friends."

Individuals interested in attending the Seoul USA banquet can RSVP online at www.UndergroundU.org or call (719) 481-8599. Individuals in Canada can support this project at www.persecution.net/donation.htm.