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 her well, and back up my wishes with action.
It was a wonderful time, and I'm looking forward to her telling her story publicly for the first time. She is determined to do it (we encouraged her to give the speech in Korean, but she wants to try it in English).
The two South Koreans translated her speech into English and then we had her practice it. My philosophy is that practice should be tougher than the actual game, so we pushed her a bit, discouraging her from reading the print out directly, having her read the speech from the teleprompter the way politicians and celebrities do.
Yes, it was one of those moments... two South Koreans taking time on a Saturday night, coming from Wonju and Ilsan to the southern part of Seoul, to do this as volunteers.
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In my case, in the back of my mind, as I thought about the situation, I couldn't help also thinking: It would be a great night to be out swing dancing. Oops, focus, help her speech...
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The Teach North Korean Refugees project has two parts--
Track 1 helps refugees improve their language skills (mainly Englsh).
Track 2 helps them improve their public speaking skills.
2021 Reflections:
* This was April 2015, we had just started developing the public speaking project. I preferred it over tutoring, but continued with both projects until 2020.
* I had come up with a secret process to help North Korean refugee speakers build up confidence with public speaking.
* I should take it as a compliment that the idiot researchers, North Korea sympathizers, and brain-damaged people highlight me as the person getting North Korean refugees prepared for public speaking. Even when I posted photos of myself with others helping, I was the one singled out. As I wrote recently, I embrace their whining: "I AM THE MAN" and hope to do something even bigger to really make the whiners cry.
* From the beginning, we took care to make sure the speakers were more confident. And we also checked to be sure they really wanted to be on stage.
* Over the years, people would ask me if we were posting these speeches online. The answer was: NO! We give the speakers time to practice and gain confidence before we turn on the cameras. It is a stupid decision as an organization, but in the long-term, it is better for the refugees. When they are ready, then no one can stop them, and there will always be organizations ready to highlight speakers after we have gotten them prepared.