North Korean refugee Kim Myeong-hee during a TV interview at the Freedom Speakers International in Seoul’s Mapo District, May 3. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International
I will start by issuing a warning that there could be numerous heart attacks at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club as a result of this blog post.
On Friday, May 3, North Korean refugee Kim Myeong-hee visited the Freedom Speakers International office in Seoul’s Mapo District for an interview with a South Korean TV crew. The crew interviewed Myeong-hee, FSI co-founder Lee Eun-koo and me.
After the interviews, I returned to my desk and found a notification revealing that Myeong-hee had donated 1.3 million won ($1,000) to Freedom Speakers International (FSI).
Myeong-hee was the Grand Prize winner of the FSI’s 19th “I am from North Korea” speech contest, held on April 13 at Harvard University. She said that after winning the contest she talked it over with her husband and they decided to donate her prize money to Freedom Speakers International. Her husband stressed how precious of an opportunity it was for her to speak at Harvard University and together they agreed the donation was a good way to show their appreciation to FSI.
Are there any ambulances being dispatched to the Seoul Foreign Correspondent’s Clubs or their various watering holes around town? Myeong-hee’s generous donation may shock some researchers, reporters and others who lambaste North Korean refugees for allegedly trying to “monetize” their “trauma stories” or for rejecting interview requests unless they get paid. What do they have to say about a North Korean refugee gleefully donating her prize money and many other North Korean refugees I recently blogged about who fundraise, donate, and support Freedom Speakers International in other ways?
North Korean refugee Kim Myeong-hee was the winner of FSI’s 19th “I am from North Korea” speech contest held at Harvard University on April 13. She visited the FSI office, May 3 and donated her prize money of 1.3 million won. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International
This is not a one-off relationship. I first met Myeong-hee in 2012 shortly before Lee Eun-Koo and I started what has become Freedom Speakers International. In 2017, she officially joined FSI to study English. In 2021, she joined the FSI North Korean Refugee Keynote Speakers Network. Every one of her tutors and mentors have enjoyed teaching her. Some don’t want to let her go to other volunteers, but an important part of our learner-centered approach is that North Korean refugees meet a variety of volunteers so they can encounter new approaches and perspectives.
Myeong-hee suffered greatly in North Korea and China and her initial adjustment to South Korea was also difficult. She expresses gratitude for even small things in life and especially appreciates those who were with her as she successfully settled down here.
Every meeting with Myeong-hee is inspiring. It is the kind of relationship that drive-by researchers or reporters may not be able to understand. We respect North Korean refugees as individuals reaching their personal goals, not as one-off or occasional interview subjects.
Initially when North Korean refugees joined us a few years ago it was a one-way street with them receiving services. Our first North Korean refugee ambassadors, Yeonmi Park and Cherie Yang, changed that when they also volunteered for our academic team. As our organization has grown and sought to become more stable, North Korean refugees have grown along with us. It is becoming more of a reciprocal relationship in which we are partners with them.
Two days after that TV interview and generous donation by Myeong-hee, she gave a speech to Americans visiting South Korea. This year we have about 90 speaking opportunities for North Korean refugees giving speech then engaging with travelers to South Korea.
North Korean refugee Kim Myeong-hee was the featured speaker, May 5, at an event with a group of people visiting South Korea. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International
Sunny, the facilitator that day, is a real pro. He has studied about North Korea, led many sessions with North Korean refugee speakers, and makes it clear he is a fan of Freedom Speakers International. He kicked off the event by introducing FSI and me. Before that, he had already given the travelers a briefing about North Korea, North Korean refugees, and FSI. His organization also shares information in advance.
He was delighted when I informed him before the session that Myeong-hee had won our speech contest at Harvard University. We usually hold personal announcements or breaking news updates about North Korean refugee speakers until the end of sessions, but he couldn’t wait to share the news.
Kim Myeong-hee prepares to give a speech to a group of visitors to South Korea as Sunny, facilitator of the event, introduces her. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International
I then took a few minutes to introduce FSI's mission and our connection with Myeong-hee. This is my one chance to talk because after the North Korean refugee starts talking then, naturally, the visitors focus on the speaker and forget that I exist.
Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder and co-president of Freedom Speakers International, introduces the organization to a group of visitors to South Korea, May 5. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International
After that, it was time for Myeonghee! She stood up and looked at me. She told me she was nervous and didn’t know why. I reminded her that before she spoke at Harvard that she told me she was nervous and she had been great. I reminded her that as we all walked together to the speech contest venue on April 13th that she told me more than once she was even more nervous because she was the first speaker. This time, she was both the first and last speaker!
The attendees responded, "Don't be nervous, we are not Harvard!" “This isn’t Harvard, there’s nothing to worry about!”
It was a talk with a friendly group of travelers from the USA. These opportunities are low-pressure opportunities for North Korean refugees to build confidence in themselves and for attendees to hear directly from North Korean refugees in English.
Myeong-hee talked about her life in North Korea, China and South Korea. The travelers were with her every step of the way.
North Korean refugee Kim Myeong-hee discusses her life in North Korea to a group of visitors to South Korea, May 5. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers InternationalTravelers from the United States listen closely as North Korean refugee Kim Myeong-hee gives a speech. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International
During a Q&A, Sunny interpreted Myeong-hee's responses when she wanted to give deeper answers and I added statistics, context and anecdotes. After I recited some statistics based on Myeong-hee's comments and their questions, one attendee asked me, "Were you a math major?" I told them I have been around and learned something in the last dozen years of working with North Korean refugees.
As we were about to wrap up, I announced that Myeong-hee had donated her prize money after winning the speech contest. They applauded her again and expressed admiration for her. She explained in a matter of a fact way that it was the right thing to do. FSI has been with her and she is with FSI. She didn’t use the phrase, but she was describing a reciprocal relationship, not a one-way giver and recipient. As a donor and fundraiser, she is helping to support the organization that partners with North Korean refugees.
I have heard many North Korean refugees express pride in being able to give as a way to express gratitude to others who have helped them along the way.
The session went into overtime even though we mentioned we needed to wrap up. Like Myeong-hee’s volunteer tutors and mentors, the audience didn’t want to let her go. Finally, Myeong-hee had to go so we took a group photo.
Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder and co-president of Freedom Speakers International, answers questions from visitors to South Korea, May 5. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International
After she left, they were then asking me questions. I said I could stay longer to answer as many questions as they had. I am usually the last person standing during a Q&A. That turned into 40 minutes of them shooting questions at me before they finally had to go.
Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder and co-president of Freedom Speakers International, talks more with one of the viisitors to South Korea, May 5. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International
One of the attendees told me that I am "an unusual person." Another told me that I am a hero for doing this work. They departed thanking FSI for existing and bringing out North Korean refugee stories into the world. One thing they recognized is that we were empowering North Korean refugees who otherwise would not tell their stories. I told them it is only possible because of support from donors, fundraisers, volunteers, and, of course, North Korean refugees like Myeong-hee.
In three days, we had two special meetings with Myeong-hee and she donated her prize money. When researchers and others complain to me about not being able to find enough North Korean refugees or that North Korean refugees are trying to “monetize” their “trauma stories,” I can’t relate to their problems and complaints.
We are practitioners who operate in the realm of practicality and reality, not in the research realm of speculation, supposition, and conjecture.
That may be why, on the one hand, North Korean refugees seek us out, continue returning to us, refer other North Korean refugees to us, and even try to find ways to support us. We have had more than 500 North Korean refugees study English, public speaking, and career development with us after they found us.
On the other hand, I don’t recall any North Korean refugees asking us to introduce them to a reporter or researcher. In the 12 years that I have been doing this work, I have had many reporters and researchers ask me to introduce them to North Korean refugees.
Few North Koreans have declined when we shared interview requests by researchers and reporters and they must recognize the one-way relationship. Many only agree to interview requests after confirming it will be helpful for FSI. We make it clear we don’t care and that we are just sharing the requests.
As it has been said, it is insanity to do the same thing over and over again and to expect different results. Aren’t the researchers and reporters who must track down and allegedly bribe North Korean refugees the least bit curious, beyond their usual knee-jerk complaints, about why North Korean refugees look for us and not for them? They complain that North Korean refugees ask for payments from them, but could there be a deeper reason that they donate to and fundraise for our organization and even reject payments?
As researchers and reporters marvel at yet another North Korean making a generous donation to us, someone might want to do well-being and welfare checks at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents Club and cafes where researchers and freelance reporters write in case many of them have gone into cardiac arrest.
Casey Lartigue Jr. (CJL@alumni.harvard.edu) is the co-founder of Freedom Speakers International with Lee Eun-koo and co-author with Han Song-mi of her memoir "Greenlight to Freedom: A North Korean Daughter’s Search for Her Mother and Herself.”
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Rami G Khouri
Mort Laitner
Rachel Marsden
Bradley Blankenship
Tarik Cyril Amar
Michael Kwet
visit website
