The Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung For Freedom (FNF) is a German political foundation. In Germany and in 60 countries around the world, FNF and its partners promote freedom, liberalism, democracy, human rights, pluralism, tolerance, curbing climate change, an open and digital society, social market economy, and the rule of law. We are a non-profit organization that focuses on civic education.

FNF has close ties to Germany´s Free Democratic Party (FDP). FNF was founded in 1958 by Germany's President Theodor Heuss. We are funded by Germany´s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Our headquarter is in Potsdam, Germany, just outside Berlin. We advise decision makers, facilitate dialogue, hold conferences, fund publications and invite people around the world to attend seminars and other events in Germany.

Abroad, we work with government institutions, NGOs, academia, political parties, researchers, students, journalists, activists, start-ups and artists who share our values and want to join us in promoting freedom. We work collaboratively and seek long-term partnerships, highlighting the importance of individual freedom and strong democratic institutions. FNF promotes economic freedom and free trade. We want businesses to respect human rights. We highly value privacy and data protection. FNF promotes curbing climate change by utilizing technological advances, for example in the context of smart cities.

FNF has worked in Southeast Asia since 1969, when we opened an office in Jakarta, Indonesia. Today, we have seven offices in Southeast and East Asia: Bangkok, Hanoi, Jarkata, Manila, Seoul, Taipei, and Yangon. We also work in Malaysia.

Activities in South Korea

In 1987, we opened our Seoul office to support the democratization process in South Korea by furthering local autonomy. Since we launched our first activities here, we are committed to enhancing citizens' participation and consolidating democracy at the local and national level. With the recent digital transformation, we focus on future-oriented topics such as Smart Cities and the 4th Industrial Revolution, helping citizens to better cope with the associated challenges and opportunities. For this purpose, we facilitate international exchanges of knowledge, ideas and experiences between Korea and Europe (in particular Germany), but also within East Asia. We also actively share the unique German experience of unification and support research and dialogue on North Korea.

Activities in North Korea

Since 2003, we organize capacity development programs in North Korea on topics such as environmental planning, water resource management, and strategies for economic modernization. Integral part of these programs are study tours to Germany, where participants can get hands-on experience and connect with foreign experts. Furthermore, with our political dialogue, we advocate peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.