Songmi Han is a North Korean refugee speaker, FSI’s External Relations Manager, and co-author, with Casey Lartigue, of her memoir Greenlight to Freedom: A North Korean Daughter’s Search for Her Mother & Herself. (Available via Amazon)

Born in North Korea, Songmi escaped to South Korea in 2011, following her mother in pursuit of freedom. After resettling, she focused on rebuilding her life and education and chose not to give interviews or speak publicly about her experiences until 2022.

Songmi joined Freedom Speakers International (FSI) in November 2019 with the goal of improving her English. In early 2021, she was hired as a part-time Special Assistant at FSI. Later that year, she joined the FSI North Korean Refugee Keynote Speakers Network, beginning her journey as an advocate and public speaker. She is now FSI’s Manager of External Relations.

Her public speaking debut took place in February 2022 at an FSI-hosted conference. In 2022, she won the Grand Prize at FSI’s I Am From North Korea English Speech Contest. In May 2023, she was a featured speaker at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.

Since beginning her public speaking career, Songmi has shared her story in cities across the globe, including Nashville, New York City, Washington, D.C., Warsaw, Geneva, New Delhi, Seoul, Poland, and at institutions like Harvard University. Her talks address daily life in North Korea, education and indoctrination, escape, resettlement, and the long-term process of rebuilding one’s life after leaving a closed society.

Despite attending elementary school for only one year in North Korea, Songmi persevered in her education after resettling in South Korea, ultimately graduating from college in August 2023.

Through her work as a speaker and author, Songmi contributes to public understanding of North Korea through firsthand experience.

Greenlight to Freedom (animation by Teri Shim): Greenlight to Freedom (Animated Trailer) – YouTube