Skip to main content

2014-07-18, Day 1: Shanghai Austrian Economics Summit

I had an INCREDIBLE time at the Shanghai Austrian Economic Summit 2014, organized by Kenli Schoolland and Li Schoolland. Thanks to them for inviting me again. The conference was extra special this time because I was joined by three of my Freedom Factory colleagues. We had so much fun getting lost in Shanghai, bonding, and meeting and greeting so many people.

Yeonmi Park definitely stole the show. As several people at the summit mentioned--they talk about freedom, but she actually had to escape to it, at the risk of death. It was a busy week for her, with three speeches in seven days (Freedom Factory's "A Change is Gonna Come, a speech at Korea University, and the summit in China). She loves the many opportunities she has to travel abroad to speak, but this one was especially poignant because she was an illegal alien in China during 2007-09 after her immediate family escaped from North Korea. This time, she was a free woman, and loving it!

As for me, it was wonderful. I also gave a speech on the main day as I shared the stage with Yeonmi. I was co-host of the talent show, during which I rapped to Salt N' Pepa's Whattaman with my own version of the song, then showed off my intermediate level swing dance skills while dancing with Kenli and Yeonmi.



Yeonmi and I also got invited to give speeches in other parts of the world. So there could be more adventures coming up. Many more photos coming later.

Yeonmi and I spoke together on a panel, as I recall, we were featured presenters.


I did the warmup act presenting background info about North Korean refugees, then Yeonmi spoke.






But of course, she was the key person, even though she was a late invite.






With the welcoming party! Kenli Schoolland and Renee Cai!


Yeonmi Park talking--in English and Chinese--with Mao Yushi, the winner of the 2012 Milton Friedman Prize from the Cato Institute and an outspoken spokesman for freedom. 
His criticisms of chairman Mao almost landed him in prison. 


With Yoshida Hiroshi, our good friend from Japan! Eventually, we will make it to Japan, too!


Thanks, Kenli Schoolland, for putting together such a great conference!


Yeonmi Park holding a One Hundred Trillion dollar bill from Zimbabwe... courtesy of one of my favorite people, Ken Schoolland! 



Bitcoin never looked so good! Several of these ladies work with a Bitcoin company. Wang Qijun will be coming to Seoul and probably speaking at an event I will co-organize with Yoojin Lee.


She spoken at the opening banquet about Bitcoin.


With Riya Basnet, who insisted that she is my #1 fan.


Feng Xingyuan is a pro-market economist and professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Vice Director of Uniurle Institute of Economics in China. I swear, he can connect any topic to the benefits of the invisible hand...



With TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee, Ami Chheda and Riya Basnet



With Li Schoolland and Xingyuan Feng


With Ami Chheda 


With Arpita Nepal



with Dr.Kriengsak Chareonwongsak เกรียงศักดิ์ เจริญวงศ์ศักดิ์, President of the Institute of Future Studies for Development in Thailand.


at the opening banquet, with the Freedom Factory team, a student from Korea and her mother, as well as my good buddy Ken Schoolland



Barun Mitra...we meet again, in yet another country...India, Korea, Malaysia, China... He can discuss almost any issue in the world, and does so often.^^


With Deependra Chaulagain

******************************************************


Traveling with Yeonmi, Eunkoo and Yoojin was a great experience--but one that I may never want to do again. We got so lost on the subway. Looking at those photos, I am not surprised we got lost a few times.


Don't battle with Yeonmi Park, she wants to win, and will punish you harshly when you lose... but will remind you that she is a tiny young lady when it is her turn to get punished...



Gotcha! 





Eunkoo was better at the games than I was, so she was able to get revenge for the last 16 months we have been working together..


Buying subway passes, probably after we had wasted money getting lost.






There was a minor controversy with an promotional photo. A MANEL! Only men on the panel. I had recommended Yeonmi as a speaker, but she wasn't confirmed as a speaker until she published a great article in the Washington Post, written with her radio co-host. Then later, I did such a great job recommending her, they deleted my photo from the lineup.




Various photos taken during our travels.









Popular posts from this blog

Obama debating Keyes, 2004, education excerpt

PONCE : Thank you. Let's move to the question of education. Mr. Obama, you've said that you consider education as the most important civil rights issue facing America today. Currently, your children are in private schools. If you're elected to the Senate, will you send them to public schools? OBAMA: Well, my children currently go to the lab school at the University of Chicago where I teach, and my wife works, and we get a good deal for it. But, so - - (laughter, applause) OBAMA: - -it depends on whether we move or not. And that, obviously, hinges on the election and what's gonna happen. We're gonna choose the best possible education for our children, as I suspect all parents are gonna try to do. And that's part of the reason why, consistently when I've been in the state legislature, I've tried to promote those kinds of reforms that would improve what I think is an inadequate performance by too many public schools, all across the state. PONCE : But yo...
Read more

Breen's column that outraged Samsung

“What People Got for Christmas” Michael Breen The Korea Times December 25, 2009 At this time of year when Seoul’s bare winter trees are wrapped in beckoning lights ― blue and white are the in colors ― and Merry Xmas signs at hotels and department stores are really saying come-hither-gentle-reveler-and-empty-your-purse, and when expensive restaurants belch noisy year-end office party groups onto every street and the karaoke rooms are full, it is tempting to declare that Christmas has lost its soul. But that would be a mistake. Christmas is a time for giving, and, before they can be given, gifts have to be bought. Commerce is good. Here, as proof, is a round up of some of the gifts given and received today by people in the news. Samsung, the world’s largest conglomerate and the rock upon which the Korean economy rests, sent traditional year-end cards offering best wishes for 2010 to the country’s politicians, prosecutors and journalists, along with 50 million w...
Read more

Rating the 10 Magazine speakers

I attended another 10 Magazine speech organized by Barry Welsh. Here are my unofficial grades for the speakers I have heard so far: 1) Shin Dong Hyuk (A+) : The audience was captivated. A few ladies were in tears as he discussed his escape from North Korea, his adjustment to living in South Korea, his difficulty at enjoying life. I first met Shin shortly before the best-selling book (Escape from Camp 14) in America about him was published, and was a bit surprised when he recognized me at an event and struck up a conversation with me even though he is so shy. Even though I was already familiar with his story, it was still great to hear it first hand in an informal setting. I threw a curveball at him, mentioning that that some people have doubted the veracity of his story. He took it in stride. After escaping from a prison camp in North Korea, I guess that there aren't many things that could rattle him. Shin, Lartigue 2) Michael Breen (A): An outstanding mix of humo...
Read more

Race, race, race

On the issue of race: Clinton goes first, (surprisingly) without her Selma accent. Biden doesn’t mention that there is a clean and article black person on the stage. Richardson says the next president must talk about race…we need less talk about race, and more about individual action. Edwards said something, apparently to help us transition to the only somewhat black candidate on the panel. Obama has the home field advantage being at Howard, but doesn’t do much with the initial question. Kucinich says that people are told to raise themselves up by their own bootstraps, but then they steal the boots. He gets the loudest cheers. This will be a long night if that continues... Gravel —who? Dodd —like the 64th team in the NCAA basketball pool, Dodd should be one and done. Brb, I’m checking on the NBA draft… CJL
Read more

Don't Call It A Comeback

I recently joined the Center for Free Enterprise in South Korea as Director of International Relations. Scroll down to click through to my bio . That means that I have resumed writing and speaking and will be actively seeking opportunities. Will start with letters and opinion pieces in the local papers until I hit on something worth sending abroad. As LL Cool J said, "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years." This has to be one of the coolest jobs I have ever had. My boss has given me complete freedom to do whatever I want. Of course, after one year, we will evaluate. To get an idea of the kinds of things I can do, check out this original rap video created by CFE . It is a pro-free trade, anti-welfare rap. Last night my boss thanked me for giving them the idea last year, even before I joined the company. * I helped bring the Harvard University men's soccer team to South Korea . They were here for 13 days, played 3 games, visited the DMZ, and had a lot...
Read more