Skip to main content

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.

Popular posts from this blog

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

Still writing (Korea Times, 2023-12-19)

Still writing by Casey Lartigue Jr. The Korea Times December 19, 2023 https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2023/12/626_365284.html

[Video] "Author Spotlight" by Harvard

On February 2nd from 2-3 a.m. (Korea time), I was the featured speaker at an "Author Spotlight" by the Harvard Division of Continuing Education (DCE) and the Harvard Extension Alumni Association (HEAA) .  Watch, like, share, and comment.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmRgP3q7rQg&list=PLn7xtnmarHFq6kVvq3PxOgC8nwjn8ioBO  * * *  I will be in the USA for two weeks in March, I will kick off the trip with a speech on the campus of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HSGE) for its annual Alumni of Color Conference (AOCC). It will be a bit of a homecoming reunion, I was one of the speakers at the first HGSE AOCC in 2003.  Stay tuned, this will be preparation for a larger event later this year. Thanks to everyone who has helped make FSI's work possible. ( Stripe ) ( PayPal ).

Mentoring while Black (Korea Times 2/16/2023)

  Mentoring while Black by Casey Lartigue Jr. February 16, 2023 www.patreon.com/caseylartigue

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 .