2020-01-06 My super fan!!!!

Have you ever had a fan?

I mean, the kind of fan who is surprised to learn you walk on water--because she thought you could fly.

The kind of fan who reads everything you write, then summarizes it for others who were not lucky enough to have read what you wrote. Then she constantly reminds you about what you wrote.

The kind of fan who even makes a calendar just for you.

Yes, I have that kind of fan, and her name is Eben Appleton!!!!

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

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Yesterday I gave a speech to North Korean refugee adolescents at a refugee alternative school. Thanks to TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee for translating!

The topic: Volunteering! The kids had heard about volunteering, but not much, based on what they said!

The feedback they gave after the speech.

* It was fun! I didn't know anything about volunteering, but I learned so much.

* You gave a great explanation about volunteering, for the first time I can understand what it really means.

* After hearing your speech, I want to volunteer. My heart says it is a good thing to do.

* It was helpful. I see that volunteering can be good for society and it can also be good for me.

* I learned a lot about volunteering. It is a good way to help others.

* I'm sleepy.

* I can see that Koreans don't really volunteer. I will volunteer so I can help raise the percentage!

That's right, one of the kids said he was sleepy, and he probably also was thinking, "And this boring lecture interrupted my nap." Eunkoo laughed out loud when she saw that I had included that comment. But then she remembered that I don't respect the opinions of kids under the age of 25.

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Eben Appleton!

Eben Appleton has done it again! This time, she made separate 2020 calendars for TNKR's co-founders! Eunkoo Lee will definitely put it to good use, she is still a digital immigrant.

Eben loves everyone and everything. Somehow, I still seem to beat out everyone except her hubby Charlie, her kids and grand kids.

Sometimes I must AVOID her because if she hears that we need money for an event or project, then she is the first to donate, and I must tell her to STOP. I never thought the day would come that I would tell a donor to stop, but I must do so with Eben!

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NEVER GIVE UP

We had a planning meeting yesterday with Hwang In-Cheol to discuss his campaign about his father being kidnapped to North Korea. One thing is clear: He will never give up!

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Tour of the Yongsan Army base

The Yongsan military base in downtown Seoul will be shutting down most of its operations. I went on a tour with two long-time friends. Things have definitely changed. I remember going on the army base years ago, taking photos was forbidden.

Mike says that I am one of his mentors. It took me by surprise the first time he said it, which reminded me that my actions can inspire others.

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

Yesterday, finally, my short trip to the USA was confirmed. This is not a sight-seeing trip, I need to take care of some things related to TNKR, and I must do one key one in person.

2014-02-14 Yeon-Mi Park`s debut

Yeonmi Park, February 14, 2014, making her debut! Yesterday I was one of the speakers at a special session on North Korean refugees at the Canadian Maple International School. Wow, it was a wonderful time! * Yeon-Mi Park delivered her first major speech in English. She was wonderful! She told her story (35 minute speech without notes), discussed different aspects of North Korea, and then handled questions from students for more than an hour. She did seem to be nervous at the beginning-she took a deep breath just as she started, looked at me, then told her story from her heart. * Returning from the speech, I told Yeonmi that she had star potential. She told me that she didn't believe it, but I told her that the way she handled Q&A and told her story, I would be lucky to have her still returning my phone calls within a year. * The students had many questions. They have been learning about North Korea. They are now reading "Escape from Camp 14" featuring Shin Dong-h...

Open door to N. Koreans (Korea Times, January 16, 2013) by Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Open door to N. Koreans By Casey Lartigue, Jr. Last Dec. 12, I fired off an opinion piece of about 1,500 words to the Washington Post. It easily could have been 1,600 words, but I deleted all of the curse words. The day before, I had learned that the United States government had rejected visa applications by three of the students at the Mulmangcho School for North Korean refugee adolescents. Mulmangcho (meaning, ``forget-me-not”) is a small alternative school located in Yeoju, more than an hour south of Seoul. It opened last September with 11 former North Korean children who are orphans or are disadvantaged in some other way. It was founded by former national assembly member Park Sun-young and a distinguished board of directors. Why were the youngsters rejected? The explanation I got: 1) The U.S. government is concerned that they might not return to South Korea and 2) there was a question about their refugee status because they didn’t have pr...

2015-04-25 First-time TNKR speaker

When I hear people say that South Koreans don't care about North Koreans, I have three main responses. 1) North Koreans are one of many groups that South Koreans don't care about. 2) The ones who do care, care a lot! Let's focus on getting them more involved rather focusing on the ones not involved. 3) It may just be that those of us engaged in activism for NK refugees need to try different methods rather than dismissing or denouncing others for not getting involved... http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/01/626_155820.html Last night, Saturday April 25, 2015, I met with two South Koreans to help a North Korean refugee get ready for her first public speech. Thanks so much, TNKR co-director Lee Eunkoo and TNKR coach Clare JH Yun! It will be a challenge, will be this particular speaker's first speech in English. She is also a newcomer to English. But her determination, wow! She is studying with a few coaches in the Teach North Korean Refugees project. I wish...

Park Chung-hee: Dictator or benevolent autocrat? (The Korea Herald, July 20, 2011)

The Korea Herald published my analysis of Willam Easterly's paper "Benevolent Autocrats." Check it out at the CFE Website . Easterly questions if "benevolent autocrats" really deserve credit for high economic growth. The Idiots' Collective calls it "a must-read" piece. I agree. [Casey Lartigue, Jr.] Park Chung-hee: Dictator or benevolent autocrat? It ain’t necessarily so. That’s what New York University economics professor William Easterly essentially says about crediting “benevolent autocrats” like South Korea’s Park Chung-hee for high growth rates. In “Benevolent Autocrats,” a provocative working paper posted in May, Easterly 1) argues that economists should be skeptical of the “benevolent autocrat” theory; (2) questions whether benevolent autocrats truly deserve credit for growth; (3) and concedes he is making a losing argument because cognitive biases lead many to believe in benevolent autocrats regardless...

복날

Tomorrow is 복날 ( bok nal ). It seems to mean that it is start of the dog days of summer. So we'll be eating 삼계탕 ( sam gye tang, which is chicken broth with ginseng) to celebrate the day before the rest of Korea does so. Update #1 : You must literally rip the chicken apart with chopsticks and a spoon. It helps to wear a bib so it won't get on your clothes. The food is cooked after you order it or call ahead with reservations . Update #2 : It is pronounced by me as bok nal , but when I say it Koreans around me don't understand until I pronounce it as " bok nallllllll ." This is a common problem with the little Korean that I can say. I'll say it, Koreans will say I speak Korean well, then ask each other in Korean, "What did he say?" Update #3 : James explains that I am probably pronouncing bok nal incorrectly. Instead, it is probably better to pronounce it "bong nahl ." I have the feeling I still won't be understood unless I say ...

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