The last few weeks

I am almost done with my trip to America. I arrived on April 9 and will be leaving on May 7.
The highlights so far:

* Atlas Think Tank MBA in Virginia

It was 11 grueling days learning about strategic thinking, strategic planning, fundraising, personnel management, financial matters. The Atlas people were wonderful, it was a wonderful experience and I have connections with think tank leaders around the country. I successfully graduated from the program, thanks for asking.

* Atlas Experience in Colorado.

I was one of the featured speakers. It was a great opportunity because many of Atlas' funders and supporters were there. I received great feedback and was invited back to Colorado to lead a training session on grassroots organizing, building coalitions, and running campaigns.

* Heritage Resource Bank in Colorado

I got to meet many of the leading conservative intellectuals and activists. I was surprised by how many of them were familiar with me.

* Protest
I participated in a protest in front of the Chinese embassy in DC to protest the Chinese government sending North Korean refugees back to North Korea. Meaning, that I protested in front of the Chinese embassy in both Seoul and D.C. during the month of April.

Conferences

* I also attended a huge conference about North Korea's gulags as well as a few other events about North Korea in DC and Virginia.

Rep. Sun Young Park (R) is the Korean Congresswoman who had a 12-day hunger strike to protest China sending NK refugees back to China. We met at a few protests in Seoul. Hannah Suh (L) attended a roundtable discussion in Seoul I hosted with NK refugee Lee Hyeon-Seo just before I left Seoul. Then we met a few days in later in DC.

Rep. Park invited me to join at a rally she was speaking at in front of the Chinese embassy in D.C. I also got to meet Suzanne Scholte at the conference and rally.

2014-02-14 Yeon-Mi Park`s debut

Yeonmi Park, February 14, 2014, making her debut! Yesterday I was one of the speakers at a special session on North Korean refugees at the Canadian Maple International School. Wow, it was a wonderful time! * Yeon-Mi Park delivered her first major speech in English. She was wonderful! She told her story (35 minute speech without notes), discussed different aspects of North Korea, and then handled questions from students for more than an hour. She did seem to be nervous at the beginning-she took a deep breath just as she started, looked at me, then told her story from her heart. * Returning from the speech, I told Yeonmi that she had star potential. She told me that she didn't believe it, but I told her that the way she handled Q&A and told her story, I would be lucky to have her still returning my phone calls within a year. * The students had many questions. They have been learning about North Korea. They are now reading "Escape from Camp 14" featuring Shin Dong-h

Helping North Koreans 'strike the blow' (Korea Times)

H ave you ever engaged in action not because you were sure it would change the world, but to satisfy your own heart? That, I emailed to an American friend, is why I have joined the effort to help North Koreans who are trying to escape from their homeland. I can’t change the direction of policy in North Korea or China but I can row the boat I am sitting in rather than lamenting that I can’t steer the yachts somewhere else. So I have tried to do what I can: Attending protests in front of the Chinese embassy in Seoul (and I plan to do so when I visit America in April); donating money to the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights ( www.nkhumanrights.or.kr ); educating myself, writing articles and emailing friends; and, as a member of the board of trustees, I recently submitted a resolution to the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association (FDMHA) in Washington, D.C., to try to call attention to the plight of North Koreans. Our organization’s missi

2020-05-21 Goodbye, Katty Chi

I had heard through the grapevine and now it has been verified: Human rights activist Katty Chi has passed away. She is one of the first people that I met when I got involved in this cause. The first time was in 2012, at an event at the South Korea's National Assembly. She was super cool, one of my favorites as I used to say even when she was alive. And that is the important time to say such things, when people are alive. Whenever we met, I would say to her, "You know what happens when you meet me?" She would say, "Yeah. Time to take a photo?" I'm glad we did. And from Hyun S. Song, a close colleague of hers: And from Liberty in North Korea, the definitive announcement, August 4, 2020

Politician commentators

It is often mockingly said that the people who know how to run the country are driving cabs and cutting hair. I have identified a new problem...the people who are running the country are pontificating like they are cab drivers and barbers. WTOP Radio hosts "Ask the Governor" every Tuesday. This past Tuesday, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine was philosophizing about Michael Vick, the former NFL player now in the slamma for killing dogs. Kaine: "I don't think somebody convicted of charges like this should be back in the NFL." What, Vick should be driving a cab or cutting hair? * * * Perhaps Gov. Kaine would like to assign Michael Vick to a job. After all, if Vick should be barred from playing in the NFL, then would what Kaine have him do? Let's fill-in Kaine's statement with some other occupations: "I don't think somebody convicted of charges like this should... "work as a waiter." "be a construction worker." "work as a tax account

Park Jin welcoming remarks to FSI (and Casey Lartigue)

National Assembly member Park Jin makes the welcoming remarks at FSI's conference featuring North Korean diplomats. Park Jin | Greeting message to FSI and Casey Lartigue mention - YouTube

The Casey Lartigue Show!

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