2022-12-04 Harvard Club of Korea annual alumni dinner

On December 1, 2019, I joined the Harvard Club of Korea's annual alumni dinner. Of course, no one in the room knew that the event would be canceled for the next two years because of COVID.

Last night we enjoyed gathering again, with about 90 Harvard alumni and their guests meeting, talking, and networking.

My special guest in 2019 was North Korean refugee Songmi Han. When she joined then she had not heard of Harvard University. I didn't realize just how special that night was for Songmi until we worked together on what became Greenlight to Freedom. This time, she knew what it was and was looking forward to it.

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Mr. Dr. Prof and now Foreign Minister Jin Park was there as a special guest. He is a former president of the Harvard Club and is a special VIP every year. He gave a short speech and also the toast for the event. He gave the most incredible testimonial about me last year. He also remembered Songmi from meeting her earlier this year when she gave him a signed copy of her book.

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I was delighted that former Miss Korea Geum Na-Na remembered me. It has been a few years since I last saw her. I brought Songmi over to her so they could also meet!

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Superman Kent Kim! He has published 17 books in addition to being engaged in a number of global activities. If I ever become truly international it will be because Kent finds a way to fit me into one of his projects.

We met several years ago and he invited me on his TV podcast six years ago.

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The ambassador to Israel was also a special guest last night. He, Songmi, and I were speakers at a Hana Foundation conference in late October.

Two weeks ago, Eunkoo and I bumped into the Ambassador at the KAA Friendship Night. I didn't know who he was six weeks ago, and I have now seen him at three different incredible events.

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There were so many incredible people there last night, I wish there had been more time to talk with more people. Of course, the annual dinner is the key event of the year, but it was great in past years when we also had happy hours.

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A North Korean musician and his South Korean colleague performed for the audience. It was great meeting them. The North Korean musician was recommended to us a while ago and last night we got to meet in person.

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The fun time was the quiz about Harvard's history. Not only did I win for myself, but I also helped Songmi win and was also whispering some of the answers. Finally, the MC detected that something was going on at our table because half of us won prizes! She finally started avoiding our table!

But it didn't matter in my case, because after helping Songmi win, she claimed one of my prizes and I surrendered the other one this morning to FSI co-founder Eunkoo Lee.

I am in charge of FSI but I clearly am not in control.

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I showed up early so I ended up helping the outgoing president of the Harvard Club with setting up.

Claire recently graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She gave me a great compliment when she said that my posts on the Harvard Alumni Facebook page helped her relax because they gave her an idea of what to expect.

I then felt quite welcome with joining the youngsters from the Harvard Graduate School of Education when they took their group photo.

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Mr. Chung is smiling as he grumbles about taking a photo with me at every Harvard alumni dinner.

So much was going on... did I mention that the CFO of Naver participated in a fireside chat?

It started as a photo of me, Songmi and Jamie... then quickly grew!

Another photo that started with just a few of us, then others jumping in!

I caught them being natural!

She really wanted a photo with Songmi!

They allowed me to join the next photo.

There were other name tags but of course I should protect the privacy of others.

Common Sense on North Korea (Korea Times, April 2, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. As interesting as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov’s writings are, there is nothing quite like attending one of his lectures. He can barely restrain himself behind the podium, often pointing and waving his arms. I also enjoy his unscripted speeches, but his answers in Q&A sessions are like the difference between watching Michael Jordan shoot baskets in warm-ups and an actual game. I have finally discovered the secret behind Lankov’s consistently solid analysis about North Korea: Use common sense. At an Asan Institute conference last summer, he argued that North Korea watchers should try to understand North Korea from its perspective. Don’t most people know that you must understand the mindset of others you are dealing with? Yet, common sense in theory gets ignored politically. From the North Korean perspective, nuclear weapons are the best thing they’ve got going. They will NOT give them up easily, even if President Obama ...

Rich talking back

The rich are talked about very often in negative terms, but how often do the rich respond in kind? Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, who inherited most of her money but apparently has also done very well with it, recently railed against class warfare and had some advice for the non-rich : "There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire," she writes. "If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking, or smoking and socializing and more time working." She complained about politicians raising taxes, regulations that slow investment, and other anti-business policies that harm the poor. "If you want to help the poor and our next generation, make investment, reinvenstment and businesses welcome."

Random photos from today

I went walking around today. Whereas some people like to go walking in the mountains, I enjoy walking around in the city. Well, not D.C. or other cities with many homeless, crazy and/or armed people walking around... * * * Here's where I had lunch today. About $1.90 for a hamburger hamberger. * * * Ha-ha! Bet you never would have guessed that Batman is a drinking place in Korea! * * * Man Clinic? The Koreans walking by seemed to be very curious about why I was taking a photo of a "Man Clinic." They may know something I don't know...Actually, I wasn't curious enough to go in and find out what it was... * * * Right down the street from the Man Clinic...there's a Love Shop! I love the euphemism. "Love Shop" sounds much better than Sex Shop. I'm guessing that if you don't go to the "Love Shop" to buy condoms that you may need to visit the Man Clinic a short time later? * * * Nobo...

To be a good volunteer, use your brain (Korea Times, December 5, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. There is probably an unwritten rule that a celebrity offering to do volunteer work for a good cause should immediately be embraced. Well, that’s not what happened to Jeong So-dam, the glamorous Korean cable TV announcer when our paths crossed on Nov. 29. Ms. Jeong was the MC of an event about American political philosophy hosted by the Association for Economic Evolution. During my speech about American libertarianism since 1940, I discussed my volunteer work for North Korean refugees. After the speech, Jeong approached me, asking how she could help. I gave her the same tough love I give to potential volunteers by asking: “Who are you?” After all, if you are Bill Gates, then open your wallet. If you speak four languages, then help with translation work. So I first stress to potential volunteers: Use your brain. Tell us about your skills and interests so together we can figure out your initial role. Jeong was good-natured about it, rather than c...

Last weekend: Suicide, Kim Young Ha, NK

Credit: Joanne Cho Event 1: Friday night I went to a talk given by Fulbright junior researcher Joanne Cho. She did a great job putting together statistics about some of the most commonly cited reasons that so many Koreans commit suicide. Probably the most provocative tidbit: Cho watched 86 dramas from the spring of 2012 to now, she says that 63 had "scenes depicting or discussing suicide" in a favorable light (as a way to solve problems, that troubled people can be forgiven for their sins and are even seen as sympathetic). Another interesting tidbit: While it is often cited that Korea is number one in the world in suicide (among countries reporting reliable statistics), what I had not realized or had forgotten is that Korean men are number 8 in the world compared to men in other countries with reliable statistics, Korean women are #1 in the world when compared to women in other countries. My questions for the speaker: 1) What was a finding in your research th...

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