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Olive Tree International — 사단법인 올리브트리

Linking People, Making Future

Trees planted in barren soil, become tomorrow's forest.

Olive Tree International plants seven foundations of social change in the barren soil of North Korea and Asia — a horizontal-cooperation global platform where communities cultivate their own future.

Explore the 7 FoundationsOur Story

About

Linking people,
making the future.

Olive Tree International rebuilds vulnerable social soil at home and abroad in the spirit of true neighborly love. Together with partners, we combine expertise across seven domains to build the foundations for communities that can stand on their own.

Material aid may ease momentary hunger, but it cannot fundamentally change quality of life. Olive Tree focuses on the potential of each individual, building infrastructure across seven domains that support society to create the soil of sustainable self-reliance.

We grow beyond simple aid — connecting data, technology, and humanistic insight — into a global governance platform that helps residents design their own sustainable future.

Mission
Linking People, Making Future
We connect people and shape futures.
Vision
Global Networking Platform for Asia
The deepest window into Asia.

Core Values · 7 Foundations

The 7 foundations that hold up society

Olive Tree designs a sustainable future through balanced growth across seven foundational domains that hold up society.

  1. Art

    Flower of Peace

    • Through media works like the film 〈Borderline〉, we record everyday stories and let messages of peace bloom.
    • Diverse artistic activity and cultural practice build emotional resonance that crosses borders.

  2. Business

    Leaves of Innovation

    • We support developing regions with capital and technology so they can stand on their own.
    • Grounded in the SDGs, we propose innovative business models that coexist with the environment.

  3. Community

    Oil of Healing

    • Through the Healing Coaching Leadership Institute, we tend inner wounds and restore a healthy communal spirit.
    • In the spirit of true neighborly love, we heal conflict and provide the spiritual and emotional essence of a society.

  4. Digital Media

    Branch of Truth

    • Through the LinkAsia news platform, we share expert insight and objective data enhanced by AI.
    • By connecting stories that center human lives, we become the deepest window onto Asia and North Korea.

  5. Education

    Stem of Wisdom

    • Specialized programs in relief, development, culture, and language strengthen residents' capacity for self-reliance.
    • Education programs for volunteers and sponsors cultivate global talent to lead lasting change.

  6. Family

    Fruit of Love

    • We focus on the value and potential of vulnerable groups — persons with disabilities, refugees — and support their stable resettlement.
    • We dispatch relief teams and deliver tangible welfare to families in the wake of disaster and disease.

  7. Governance

    Transparent Soil

    • We develop policy to address the roots of poverty and disease, and research the expansion of social capital.
    • Horizontal cooperation and information exchange with partner organizations at home and abroad build a transparent foundation for international collaboration.

Global Network

Where we work

Rooted in Seoul with branches in São Paulo and New York, we connect Asia to a wider network of partners, funders, and communities across three continents.

SeoulSão PauloNew York

Tap a location to zoom in · extended partnerships across the Asia-Pacific

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Answers to the questions we hear most often about how Olive Tree works and what it stands for.

What is Olive Tree International?

Olive Tree International is a nonprofit platform that plants seven foundations of social change — Art, Business, Community, Digital Media, Education, Family, and Governance — in the vulnerable social soil of North Korea and Asia, so that local communities can cultivate their own future through horizontal cooperation.

What are your mission and vision?

Our mission is Linking People, Making Future. Our vision is to become a Global Networking Platform for Asia — a global community that connects international cooperation and cultural exchange to serve as the deepest window into North Korea and Asia.

What are the '7 Foundations'?

The seven domains Olive Tree treats as the core supports of society: Art (culture and arts), Business (economy), Community (healing), Digital Media, Education, Family (social welfare), and Governance (policy). Balanced growth across all seven creates the soil for sustainable self-reliance.

How is this different from ordinary aid?

Material aid can ease momentary hunger but cannot fundamentally change quality of life. Olive Tree focuses on the potential of each individual and builds infrastructure across seven domains together — cultivating the soil for sustainable self-reliance.

What kinds of projects do you run?

Media and cultural work including the film 〈Borderline〉, the LinkAsia news platform, the Healing Coaching Leadership Institute for community restoration, self-reliance support and SDG-based ventures in developing regions, and welfare and relief for vulnerable populations — running in parallel across all seven domains.