Skip to main content

Chris Hyun-moo Kim, TNKR volunteer testimonial!

TNKR volunteer tutor Chris Hyun-moo Kim

Most of the focus in TNKR naturally is on the refugees, that's why we have come together. It is easy to forget the impact that joining TNKR can have on volunteers! Here's a statement from TNKR volunteer Chris Hyun-moo Kim, an incredibly enthusiastic young man:

"Ah, so where do I start? After one month of volunteering for TNKR I am truly impressed with the way the organization is run. 

"They truly care about helping North Korean Refugees learn English, which makes it easy for me to strive to do my best in return. 

"Being a newbie... I know I don't have anything to compare with but so far my experience with my NKR (North Korean Refugee) has been nothing but amazing.  From the start, I could tell she truly wanted to learn.  The first day bringing a handful of books, I could see the enthusiasm on her face as we went through word after word, sentence after sentence, striving to perfect the meaning and the pronunciation of each. 

"She has already bought over 10 books to test out with her tutors and she told me last class that she finally found the right one. We focused on that book throughout our whole lesson last time we met. 

"But anyway, just like anything else in life, when you like something you want to promote it. That is how I feel about TNKR.  I saw an IG post of Casey wearing a sweatshirt and I immediately asked him where he got it and if it was possible for me to purchase one.

"After a few conversations with TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee, we managed to figure out a way for me to buy one as well! I wasn’t asked to do this, pressured at all. It was something that I wanted to do to show my support for TNKR.  By doing so, I hope people see me wearing this and either ask me about it or search for it later in their free time. 

"Great organizations like TNKR need to be recognized/heard so they can continue to do great things. I am happy I discovered TNKR and will continue to do my best while volunteering through them. Thank you."

Matching donation challenge: https://give.lovetnkr.com/en/awesome

Popular posts from this blog

Let's not shake hands (Korea Times, July 2, 2014) by Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Let's not shake hands By Casey Lartigue, Jr. While there are many things that I love about Korea, there are two things that drive me crazy. One is that, in my observation, most Korean men don't wash their hands after using the bathroom. I know some people get defensive about non-Koreans commenting in a negative way about Korean culture and life, that they want to attack the messenger and the messenger's native country. So I will start by clearly stating that many men in America don't wash their hands either. According to the Website  Stop Handshaking , while 92 percent of adults in America say they wash their hands in public restrooms, an observational study of 6,076 adults sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) found that only 66 percent of men actually washed their hands in public restrooms (88 percent of women did so). As an aside, I am curious how they "observed" that many peopl...

North Korean defector seeks justice (Korea Times)

  It was international news when 12 North Korean waitresses and a male manager who worked at a restaurant operated by the North Korean regime in China arrived in South Korea in 2016.  The waitresses have mostly maintained a low profile. There have been numerous accusations and assertions, with some saying the waitresses didn't want to escape, some accused the Park Geun-hye administration of playing politics by releasing details of the case, etc., etc., etc. My blog at the Korea Times today features an exclusive interview with one of the former North Korean waitresses who filed a criminal case against the former manager. You can read about it here on the Korea Times website. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2023/02/728_345165.html   Keep in mind that there are many more facts to the case and that it is much deeper than this brief excerpt of her comments. She also shared legal documents that I shared with the Korea Times well in advance to give them time to review t...

Radio, Harvard

I'll be a guest on XM 169 The Power this morning from 10:15 a.m. EST. I'll be talking about teaching English abroad. I'll be interviewed by Brian Higgins of MYB Talk . I sang last night for about five hours with friends but I'm sure my voice will be fine. Tuesday, I'll be interviewed by a Harvard University representative who wants my input on a new doctoral program for education leaders . It is a collaboration between the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School. Some folks at the Booker Rising site are (again) reminding me that I'm not as smart as I think I am. CJL

Park Jin welcoming remarks to FSI (and Casey Lartigue)

  National Assembly member Park Jin makes the welcoming remarks at FSI's conference featuring North Korean diplomats. Park Jin | Greeting message to FSI and Casey Lartigue mention - YouTube

Chosun Monthly magazine [Korean language]

  Chosun Monthly Magazine has made an announcement (in Korean) about the Seoul Honorary Citizenship award that I received on December 9, 2022.  Our Korean staffers say that the magazine is a big deal in South Korea. Here's the overall roundup of media about the award. In the next two months, I have extended interviews coming up in two different magazines, one in the USA and one in South Korea. Both articles will be in respected publications so they should raise awareness of FSI's work that your support makes possible. * * * Support FSI via Stripe or PayPal . https://donate.stripe.com/3cs28F5IAcc85IAaEF or PayPal .