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2015-08-03 Korea University double-header

Today I gave two speeches about Teach North Korean Refugees at Korea University. I was joined by a different refugee speaker at each event. I am getting better at handling these speeches. I do an overview about North Korean refugees escaping to South Korea, then lead into a discussion about TNKR, then introduce the speaker, then during Q&A I try to fill-in the gaps with some extra information and anecdotes.

Support TNKR: www.lovetnkr.org/donate or https://linktr.ee/caseylartigue

2015-08-03 Speech 1


Speech number 1, one of our speakers showed just how much he has improved. He's a guy who says what he thinks and shows how he feels. His coaches have helped him channel those things, to be more structured in telling his story.

When he gave his first speech a few months ago, we talked with his coaches about ways he could improve. Today he was funny, emotional, poignant, thoughtful. I really felt proud watching him speak today. It was also his first time as a solo speaker.

* * *

It was really an honor, we were speaking at the class of Prof. Kathryn Weathersby. She's a scholar about North Korea and an expert on North-South Korean relations. We had a lively discussion during Q&A, thanks so much to our first speaker today.














2015-08-03 Speech 2


In the morning, I spoke along with a refugee at the class of Prof. Kathryn Weathersby. In the afternoon, I spoke along with a refugee at the class of law professor Marcus Cole. He's a scholar in several fields, a resume that makes it seem like he is three different people, and he still gets involved, such as his work with a charter school in California.

I spoke at his class last year along with Yeonmi Park, when she was on her rise to stardom. This is now the fourth time I have spoken at Korea University.

Today's second speaker prefers to remain anonymous so I will stop writing. 


2020 comment: Speaker 1 is Ken Eom. He had joined us a few months earlier. He improved quite a bit in just a few months. At that time, we were still being very careful about naming speakers.

Speaker 2 is currently active in TNKR, but he visits TNKR about once a year to update us about his life and to thank us for the boost his English received when he studied with us during 2014-16.

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