The Casey Lartigue Show!

Good TV News stopped by the FSI office today to do some interviews. They will be having a segment (in Korean) about FSI on April 4th at 9:50 pm KST.  http://tv.goodtv.co.kr/live.asp We mentioned many of FSI's activities, the interview team was amazed to hear about Hwang In-Cheol's story , I recommended that they should interview him in the future. Most of the interview was focused on FSI's main work with North Korean refugees. She was the main reporter who interviewed me. She then interviewed Eunmi Park. Eunmi has been silent for eight years, but will do some select interviews during the year. This one was mainly focused on why she wants to study English and her YouTube channel. Then it was time for me to be Eunmi's prop. They wanted to see a mentoring session. Everything is interesting to media cameramen. He was recording her script. Most of our staff prefer NOT to be photographed. There was complete silence in the staff room. April 4th (Monday) 9:50 p.m. KST: FSI on G...

  On December 11, 1969, a North Korean agent hijacked a plane from South to Nouth Korea. For much of the past 20 years, Hwang In-Cheol, son of one of the people on that airplane, has been campaigning to have his father released. Yesterday he led a rally at Imjingak's Freedom Bridge (near the DMZ) to call on North Korea to reveal the truth about what happened to his father and to release him. For much of those 20 years, Mr. Hwang has been on his own, although he has partnered with some organizations. In recent years Freedom Speakers International has been with him anytime has called on us (although sometimes we do call on him to see if he has any plans and if there is anything we can do to help). He definitely wasn't alone yesterday! About a dozen South Koreans and I joined him yesterday. I was the other featured speaker, although obviously, this is not the kind of event that you want to speak at, it would be much better for the family to be reunited or at least to have closure....

Have you ever had a fan? I mean, the kind of fan who is surprised to learn you walk on water--because she thought you could fly. The kind of fan who reads everything you write, then summarizes it for others who were not lucky enough to have read what you wrote. Then she constantly reminds you about what you wrote. The kind of fan who even makes a calendar just for you. Yes, I have that kind of fan, and her name is Eben Appleton!!!! www.lovetnkr.org/donate **** Yesterday I gave a speech to North Korean refugee adolescents at a refugee alternative school. Thanks to TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee for translating! The topic: Volunteering! The kids had heard about volunteering, but not much, based on what they said! The feedback they gave after the speech. * It was fun! I didn't know anything about volunteering, but I learned so much. * You gave a great explanation about volunteering, for the first time I can understand what it really means. * ...

  I was happy to celebrate Hwang Cheol's birthday a few days ago. I met him two years ago on March 2016. I had seen something about his case, but didn't know in detail. As I listened to him tell the story of his father being on an airplane that was hijacked to North Korea in 1969, I sent a message to TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee saying that we needed to get involved. Even though we knew it would be a long shot, we have stayed with Mr. Hwang since then. Even if we couldn't do enough to get his father back, at least we didn't want him to be alone during his campaign. We have had many serious activities with Mr. Hwang, such as protesting before the UN office, going to Imjingak to protest with him, had a news conference at the press club, had an event at a human rights office, had a candlelight vigil. Friday night was a chance to celebrate Mr. Hwang, raise some funds for his campaign, and try to inform more people about the case. (Read about the case in my Korea Times column ...