2015 6/28-7/04 World Bali Conference

I am back from almost a week in Indonesia at the World Bali Conference. So many wonderful memories and moments.

* Three speakers about NK presented. At many conferences, I am the leading speaker on NK issues. But at this event, I was the third most important speaker about NK--that's because both Yeonmi Park and Shin Dong-hyuk spoke. :-)

* I kicked off the talent show by swing dancing with Kenli Schoolland, then rapping to a song from the 1990s. It has been on while since I have rapped in front of an audience without the lyrics on the screen, so I did have to practice a few times in advance. I had meant to thank Shruti Sharma, she is the one who has been stalking me about rapping at one of these conferences. :-)

* Special thanks to Li Schoolland and Ken Schoolland for inviting me to participate again in one of their conferences. It started back in 2012, when they visited South Korea, I had the privilege of hosting them in Seoul. Then in July 2012, I joined their conference in Shanghai (I discussed Michael Sandel's book "Justice"). I also joined in 2014 in Shanghai, discussing my activism with North Korean refugees. 2015 was my first opportunity to address the International Society for Individual Liberty.

* I am not a traveler, but I have done a lot of traveling this year for events--Kathmandu, USA twice (Florida, North Carolina, D.C., Massachusetts), Bali. My next trip scheduled trip is not until November, when I will be speaking at Harvard University again.

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2020 comment: Was Zoom even around back then? It is dominating now, but as soon as humans can be humans again, meeting at conferences, I bet they will. We might practice social distancing for a while, but people will start meeting again as soon as it is possible. I sometimes hear people ask this new online world has proven that many meetings are not necessary. Sure, even before I wonder about many pointless meetings. But many meetings and conferences aren't just about the content, but the experience. We could have the Bali World Conference today via our computers, but it could not have been as special as the actual event was back in 2015.

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2022-12-09 Seoul Honorary Citizenship (ceremony & media roundup)

On September 29, 2022, I was informed that I had been awarded Seoul Honorary Citizenship. December 9th, I was one of the 18 non-Koreans to receive Seoul Honorary Citizenship. I was delighted to have several colleagues and supporters join me at the ceremony. They all have had a special role in my activities here. Here's the media roundup so far: The Korea Times (English) https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/12/113_341484.html Yonhap (English) https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20221211001200320 (Korean) https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20221210022100004 (French) https://fr.yna.co.kr/view/AFR20221211001000884 (Spanish) https://sp.yna.co.kr/view/ASP20221211000900883 K-Odyssey https://m.k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=179556481389320 Newsis https://www.newsis.com/view/?id=NISX20221209_0002118460 Chosun https://www.chosun.com/national/national_general/2022/12/11/S2OA76535FCBHFIQI7R5P7HYYM/ Daum News https://v.daum.net/v/20221211111512898 MSN https://www.msn.com/ko-kr/news/n...

"Who would be free themselves must strike the blow?" --Lord Byron

Frederick Douglass loved that quote. Booker T. Washington would say it sometimes, too. I recently met two women from North Korea. That's right, that North Korea. I asked them many questions but held back somewhat. I suppose they still must be careful and I don't want them to think I'm a spy. Hey, I used to be a host on black talk radio, I was accused of many things then. Plus, if North Koreans are trying to track those folks down I suppose the last thing they'd want would be to have their photos posted on a blog. At some point I will write about meeting those ladies. * * * Yesterday I got interviewed by a Korean reporter about various political and social issues. After I confirm that my interview made it past the station's producers then I'll post the info here. CJL

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

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 ...

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...

The Casey Lartigue Show!

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