Casey Lartigue, Jr. manages a blog on the Korea Times named Workable Words. Read three posts made this week by Casey, Chae-yeon Lee, and one of FSI’s Keynote Speakers Myeong-hee Kim.
‘From awareness to action: advocating for North Korean human rights’
April 29, 2024, Chae-yeon Lee
Casey Lartigue, Jr. recently created a petition for Western countries to offer asylum to North Korean refugees who escape from Chine. The author of ‘From awareness to action: advocating for North Korean human rights’, Chae-yeon Lee, reflects on her own involvement with FSI and her commitment to raising awareness about North Korean human rights violations. Chae-yeon emphasizes the urgent need for international intervention to protect North Korean refugees who are facing forcible repatriation by Chinese authorities and to advocate for broader recognition of their refugee status.
Relationships more valuable than prize money
April 28, 2024, Casey Lartigue, Jr.
FSI aims to empower North Korean refugees through English language and public speaking education. However, there have been attempts to undermine its activities. Despite initial skepticism and attempts to discredit the project, numerous North Korean refugees who have participated with FSI have become advocates, donors, and volunteers, demonstrating their genuine support and gratitude. Relationships more valuable than prize money highlights individual stories of refugees who have thrived personally and professionally after engaging with FSI, including Myong-hee Kim, Yumi Lee, Jeong-Cheol Lee, Cherie Yang, Eun-hee Park, Sharon Jang, Young-nam Eom, and Dr. Bong-hee Han.
This moment, this platform: North Korean human rights at Harvard University and beyond
April 27, 2024, Myeong-hee Kim
The article, written by one of FSI’s Keynote Speakers Myeong-hee Kim, highlights the transformative opportunities provided to defectors through organizations like FSI. In This moment, this platform: North Korean human rights at Harvard University and beyond, Myeong-hee writes about the importance of international support in advocating for human rights in North Korea while reflecting on her personal experiences and her recent grand prize during FSI’s 19th speech contest at Harvard University. Each North Korean refugee serves as a witness to human rights violations and represents a “seed” that can inspire others. Myeong-hee states that the collaboration between FSI, Harvard, volunteers, and supporters is seen as instrumental in planting these “seeds” that are needed to improve the human rights situation in North Korea.