24th "I am from North Korea" English Speech Contest

poster(name edited)

Join us for the 24th edition of the North Korean Refugee English Speech Contest, “I am from North Korea.”

Twice per year, North Korean refugees who want to participate in the contest are matched with mentors who help them prepare and improve their speeches. Many participants in the “I am from North Korea” English Speech Contest also join our North Korean Refugee Keynote Speakers Network.

This event offers a unique glimpse into the lives of North Korean refugees through original speeches delivered by seven courageous individuals. Hear firsthand accounts of their experiences living in and fleeing North Korea, and gain valuable insight into their daily struggles and triumphs.

Date and Time

October 10th, 10:00 am to 12:30 p.m. KST

Venue

Ewha Womans University Jungangdang (Middle Auditorium, 중강당)

Presentations
Master of Ceremonies
Presentations

Eight North Korean refugees who have won the former speech contests will deliver their speeches in English, each up to 10 minutes long.

Master of Ceremonies

Casey Lartigue Jr., Harvard graduate and co-founder of FSI.

Consider sponsoring FSI’s speech contest

We depend on donations from donors who support our vision of creating learning opportunities in which North Korean refugees have the autonomy of choosing how they will learn. With the support of donors, we have been able to empower numerous North Korean refugees to achieve their goals in life.

Tuition-free mentorship for public speaking in English is at the core of our operations. 

Continued and increased support for our flagship events and core programs will help us:

Increase the impact of our biannual “I am from North Korea” Speech Contest by transforming it into an international event.

Add more speakers to our North Korean Refugee Keynote Speakers Network, reaching a goal of 50 publicly listed speakers.

Donate via PayPal
Donation Matching Challenge

Our Partners

Our Sponsors

FSI VIP Club

Anonymous (Matching Donation Challenge)

Casey Lartigue, Jr. (donation & fundraising)

Eunkoo Lee (donation & fundraising)

Event Partners

Harvard Club of Broward County

Harvard Club of Seattle

Platinum Patrons
$5,000+

Conrad (donation pledge)

Gold Sponsors
$2,000–$4,999

Chloe Lee (donation)

Soo Jeong Ahn (donation)

Silver Supporters
$1,000–$1,999

Eben Appleton (donation & fundraising)

Alexis Wainwright (donation)

Anonymous (donation)

Bronze Benefactors
$500–$999

 Young Jae Cho (donation)

Sapphire Supporters
$200–$499

Timothy Han (donation)

Jesse S (donation)

Georgene S (donation)

Anonymous (donation)

Ken S (donation)

Chaeyeon Lee (donation) 

Ernie Choi, Ryan(Wonjae) Choi(Donation)

Copper Contributions
$100–$199

Chung-hee (donation)

Yongmi (donation)

Yeajun Park (donation)

Jeff C (donation)

Gail G (donation)

Roger F (donation)

Seth (donation)

Anonymous (donation)

About our Sponsorship Levels

Platinum Patrons: Donation/fundraising of $5,000 or more. Your name/organizational logo can be included on a sponsor banner and also on the main banner for the contest, all marketing materials, FSI Website, and post on social media. Platinum Patrons will be mentioned during the speech contest and Q&A session.

Gold Sponsors: Donation/fundraising of $2,000 – $4,999. Your name/organizational logo will be included on the sponsor or main banner (they will be accepted on the main banner until we run out of space), all marketing materials, FSI Website, and post on social media. Gold sponsors will be mentioned during the Q&A session or the speech contest.

Silver Supporters: Donation/fundraising of $1,000 – $1,999. Your name/organizational logo will be included in all materials, FSI Website, and post on social media.

Bronze Benefactors: Donation/fundraising of $500 – $999. Your name/organizational logo will be included on our website and selected materials related to the speech contest.

Sapphire Supporters: Donation/fundraising of $200 – $499. Your name/organizational logo will be included on our website and one document related to the speech contest.

Copper Contributors: Donation/fundraising $100 – $199. Your name/organizational logo will be included on our website.

If you have donated to our Harvard project (or via one of our fundraisers), please confirm that you would like your name listed.