I shared the stage with North Korean refugee Eunhee Park on Monday morning. People who have heard her story are aware that she has gone from being a basic level speaker to giving a TEDx Talk less than four years later.
That is not the only way she has changed.
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The event started with me giving a speech. It was with college students visiting from Singapore, they wanted me to talk about starting TNKR. I took a slightly difference approach in discussing how TNKR was founded.
That is not the only way she has changed.
www.lovetnkr.org/donate
The event started with me giving a speech. It was with college students visiting from Singapore, they wanted me to talk about starting TNKR. I took a slightly difference approach in discussing how TNKR was founded.
Eunhee--A new human being
After I spoke, it was Eunhee's turn. I think many people now realize that she has gone from a basic level of English in 2015 to giving a moving TEDx Talk in late 2018. But people still playing that record don't realize how much she has changed as a person.
For years I have tried to explain the birds and bees to researchers and journalists who would ask me to introduce them to refugees who had just arrived in South Korea. I would tell them: Those are some of the most boring interviewees. They lack perspective at that point, which for simple minded journalists seems to be fine. Refugees who may at that point be faced with the reality of adjusting to a new country, how they are going to make a living beyond the initial government support, if they will or can go to school or start working immediately, still dealing with issues related to their escapes or may be seeking to help relatives escape and may have reasons not to talk about such things--are expected to answer questions from reporters about Kim Jong-Un, Korean unification, and to give specific information about every aspect of their escapes.
Eunhee's first speeches in English were naturally focused on a single point. As she has developed, given numerous speeches to audiences, heard many of the same questions from audiences and passers-by, been able to read and think about various issues, her speeches now have different layers to them. When she answers questions, she is clearly considering different angles, things she has heard from other refugees, criticisms she has heard, questions she has heard in other venues and even in other countries when she has met people who are completely ignorant about North Korea.
Some people who hear a speaker think they have heard the entire story, but the refugee speakers continue developing. Just like other people who write books or give speeches, years later they feel what they wrote or said years before was so immature or undeveloped. It is the difference between reading a book at age 16 and at age 36.
One thing we failed at in our public speaking program was to have refugee speakers develop at least three speeches. There were a number of reasons for that approach, but one thing is clear: Eunhee is doing that on her own, as she continues examining and evaluating.
Q&A
It was then time for Q&A! The students had many questions! Eunhee naturally answered first, I would jump in to add statistics, comments I have heard from other refugees to the same questions, or books the students might want to read that are related to their questions.
TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee prefers to be behind-the-scenes, but I pulled her to the stage to answer a few questions.
PHOTO TIME
Then it was time for photos!
I then had everyone pull out their phones to subscribe to our YouTube channels. Either they followed later or YouTube deleted them, I saw my followers jump from 469 to 482, then back to 470.
They then gave each of us a gift, including some sweet messages thanking us for taking time to speak to them. It was another great event.
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Eunhee Park's Basket TV