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Showing posts from September, 2014

In defense of NGOs (The Korea Times, September 24, 2014)

Back when I was in America, I was occasionally accused of being a sellout or "enemy of black people" because of some of the organizations I worked with (the funding sources of those critics or their favorite causes were always considered to be squeaky clean). I was recently attacked online by some folks using similar "follow the money" and "guilt by association" arguments. So I wrote the following column about it, in tomorrow's Korea Times.. http://freedomfactory.co.kr/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=liber&wcode=1329&idx=4422 http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2014/09/626_165084.html In defense of NGOs (The Korea Times, September 24, 2014) By Casey Lartigue, Jr. There's an old joke about two Jewish friends, one of whom subscribes to a Nazi newspaper. "How can you read that trash?" one friend asks the other. "This is better than reading the Jewish newspapers," the friend with the subscription responds. &

2014-09-23, Eight Hour Meeting with Yeonmi Park

An 8 hour meeting with Yeonmi Park! Yes, that's true!  Yeonmi Park and I met for 8 hours, talking about many upcoming projects and activities. I should enjoy the moment, cuz as I predicted back in February, she will be a leading advocate for human rights within a year... We worked on three speeches she would be giving internationally, her book, a final TV podcast.

2014-09-23 interview: I would have talked all day-and night...

I was interviewed earlier today for a Website magazine. The interview was a lot of fun, they were really interested in hearing my opinions o n many things. So I talked a lot, gave a speech, and talked and talked and talked... http://www.mediasr.co.kr/ news/ articleView.html?idxno=9170

2014-09-21 Mulmangcho 2nd anniversary celebration

Wow, what a wonderful time! The Mulmangcho School (for Adolescent North Korean Refugees) opened on September 28, 2012, I started volunteering two weeks later. Prof. Park Sun-young asked me to teach English to the children, but I declined. Instead, I suggested to her that I might be able to find some teachers who would ENJOY teaching the students. I wasn't sure I could find anyone, but I told her that I would do my best to find teachers. Most weeks, we have between 5 to 8 vol unteers show up to teach North Korean refugees kids. They honored me on Sunday by giving me another "Certificate of Appreciation," having me as part of the cake cutting ceremony, singling me out on another occasion. I also had a chance to swing dance to entertain the kids, which seemed to have impressed the adults (the kids probably would have preferred real magic).^^ Swing dancing  http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GA6YGVFcRlQ Thanks to my substitute dance partner Ginny Min-Jin Song, a new volun

Teach North Korean Refugees--directions to Mulmangcho Human Rights Institute

DIRECTIONS to Mulmangcho Institute=Easy, easy, easy. Almost like they chose the location for the people who get lost within a block from home... * Bangbae station on line 2, exit 1. Walk to the top of the stairs.  * Look to your left. There will be a Woori Bank teller machine. * Standing, looking directly at the teller machine location, walk inside the building to the right of it, under the navy blue sign with the telephone number "587-4145-6..." Walk up to the 3rd floor, room 305. That's it. After you leave the subway exit, it will take you about 5 seconds to get to the building. I don't have a Naver map for it, but if you are driving, use the Bangbae subway as a landmark. Bangbae station (line 2) exit 1 Woori Bank Bd (우리은행건물) #305호 I know people won't believe me, they have been lied to so many times by people in Korea who said a location was "easy to find." I have learned that "easy to find" in Korea means: “Sure, just go down

Korea is a "hero-less" society

Why doesn't Korea have landmarks named after its great leaders and heroes/heroines? That's what Lee Chang-sup asks rhetorically before answering ... 1) Individualism of Americans and that Koreans see things in terms of nations, dynasties, epochs. (Parenthetically, I think this explains things such as why Koreans are fine with a 513% tariff on imported rice.)  2) Korean's turbulent modern history. Hallelujah! This is one of the most fightingest civilized countries I am familiar with. It isn't enough for Koreans to win, the other side must lose. And opponents are never to be honored. It doesn't matter about the good things a leader may have done, the downside is to be focused on. Yes, it is the same in other countries, in the same way that terrorists chopping off heads and children stealing candy are both criminals... 3) North Korea's deification of leaders. This one is less persuasive to me. A street named after one of South Korea's dictators w

2014-09-06 "North Korea Today," live recording in Hong Kong

2014-09-06, I was in Hong Kong for an Atlas Network conference. I gave a speech about my activities in South Korea, then the highlight of the conference was the live recording of the TV podcast I then had with Yeonmi Park. As I mentioned after we first launched the show, in March, I was the main host and producer, but the show would depend on Yeonmi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsOPQVJKvSc&list=PLn7xtnmarHFrAyIoF6t2PNrrE1LzZp2G8&index=1 It was a bit awkward for us doing the show in front of a live audience, without the OTV team with us, and with the cameras so far away that (at least I) couldn't focus on which one to look at. Anyway, we had a great time, and the audience was really responsive and seemed to enjoy it. We opened the floor to questions, that was a lot of fun responding to questions.. * * * 2020 reflection. Looking back, this recording almost didn't happen. Before Yeonmi flew from South Korea, she had gotten a warning from South Korean police that she c