Miss Kathi

About this book

The remarkable story of Swiss aid worker Kathi Zellweger, whose history of engagement with a secretive, isolated North Korea over nearly three decades is unprecedented in its scope, access, and humanitarian impact. One of the first book-length accounts in English by an aid worker operating on the ground in North Korea, Miss Kathi chronicles the story of a woman who has lived out her commitment to the poor and most vulnerable--undaunted by the tensions and threat of conflict perpetually looming over the Korean peninsula. For many North Koreans, Kathi Zellweger--a native of Switzerland--was the first foreigner they had ever met or even seen. Playing a central role in the early years of international relief efforts in North Korea was a lonely job, as Kathi addressed the humanitarian needs of a suffering people largely ignored by the world because of their citizenship. She befriended local doctors, nurses, and caregivers; negotiated with suspicious government officials; overcame international doubts about the diversion of relief supplies to the military; and, over a period of years, spearheaded an effort that provided food, medicine, and development aid. Ultimately, her efforts saved the lives of thousands of people--most of them children. As one official in Pyongyang emotionally declared to her during a visit in the late 1990s, even though she was in no way a missionary, "Miss Kathi--you are the Mother Teresa of North Korea!"