Our History

FSI, first known as Teach North Korean Refugees (TNKR), was founded in 2013 by co-directors Casey Lartigue Jr. and Eunkoo Lee. Both had prior experience working for other humanitarian causes, and both were deeply interested in the plight of North Korean refugees living in South Korea. They saw the obstacles that the refugees faced and recognized their need for support.

Casey, then the Director for International Relations at the Freedom Factory Co. Ltd., and Eunkoo, then a government researcher with a focus on young North Korean refugees in South Korea, met at a human rights conference in the fall of 2012.

What started as a simple exchange of ideas later turned into serious talk about implementing them, and in March of 2013 Casey and Eunkoo hosted their first “English Matching Session,” in which they paired a small group of volunteer English tutors with North Korean refugees. They quit their jobs to focus on building FSI’s capacity to empower North Korean refugees.

2025	• North Korean refugee authors Songmi Han, Yeongnam Eom, and Sharon Jang, along with FSI co-founders Casey Lartigue Jr. and Eunkoo Lee, participate in the Warsaw International Book Fair in Poland. • Casey Lartigue Jr. receives the International Human Rights Award, All India Council on Human Rights, Liberties and Social Justice. • Casey Lartigue Jr. receives the Han Won-Chae Human Rights Award. • Casey Lartigue Jr. receives the Outstanding Foreigner Award, IWIK and Challenge Korea. • Eunkoo Lee receives the International Human Rights Award. • Songmi Han receives the International Award for Courageous Testimony & Truth Telling. • Casey Lartigue Jr. receives the Michael Shinagel Award for Service to Others from Harvard Extension School (2024 award, presented in 2025).
2024	• Publication of Girl with Black Makeup by Sharon Jang. • Publication of Strongest Soldier of North Korea by Yeongnam “Ken” Eom. • Publication of Escape from North Korea, New Beginnings in South Korea, edited by Casey Lartigue Jr. and Eunkoo Lee. • Freedom Speakers International receives special recognition from Shin and Kim Law Office. • Journey to Liberty event held at Harvard Square. • Voices of North Korea events held in India and Canada. • Hyoshim Maeng is a featured speaker at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
2023	• Songmi Han is a featured speaker at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. • FSI Video Exhibition in New York City features testimonies from North Korean refugees. • Casey Lartigue Jr. receives a Letter of Commendation from the Republic of Korea Ministry of Unification.
2022	• Freedom Speakers International becomes officially incorporated in South Korea under the Ministry of Unification. • Publication of Greenlight to Freedom by Songmi Han and Casey Lartigue Jr. • Publication of My Father’s North Korea Story: Walk to Freedom by Bonghee Han. • Casey Lartigue Jr. receives Seoul Honorary Citizenship from the Seoul Metropolitan Government. • 16th “I Am From North Korea” English Speech Contest — author Songmi Han wins the contest.
2021	• The organization adopts the name Freedom Speakers International (FSI). • Casey Lartigue Jr. receives a Letter of Commendation from the Korea Hana Foundation.
2020	• FSI reaches its 100th Language Matching Session milestone. • FSI relocates its office to Mapo-gu (Sangsu) in Seoul. • TV personality Yuna Jung wins FSI’s 11th “I Am From North Korea” English Speech Contest.
2019	• FSI hosts the Ivy League Unification Conference at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. • Launch of Track 3: Career Development for participants. • “I Am From North Korea” English Speech Contest — Eunhee Park wins the contest.
2018	• FSI registers as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States. • FSI student Eunhee Park delivers a TEDx Talk. She is later author of The Courage to Die. • Freedom Speakers International is named a finalist for the Asia Liberty Award.
2017	• FSI co-founders Casey Lartigue Jr. and Eunkoo Lee deliver a TEDx Talk. • FSI student Cherie Yang, winner of the fifth speech contest, delivers a TEDx Talk in the United Kingdom. • Casey Lartigue Jr. receives the Special Contribution Award from the Hansarang Rural Cultural Foundation.
2016	• FSI moves into its own office near Gwangheungchang Station. • Organization registers as a nonprofit entity authorized by Seoul City Hall. • FSI co-hosts an International Volunteer Workshop at the National Assembly. • Third “I Am From North Korea” English Speech Contest — author Eunju Kim wins the contest.
2015	• FSI launches its public speaking project. • First “I Am From North Korea” English Speech Contest held — author Sungju Lee wins the contest. • Cherie Yang, FSI’s second North Korean refugee ambassador, goes on a speaking tour across the United States with Casey Lartigue Jr.
2014	• FSI formalizes its tutoring project as English Empowerment. • Chanyang Ju and Casey Lartigue Jr. take FSI’s first trip abroad, to New Delhi, India. • Launch of The Casey Lartigue Show with Yeonmi Park (later renamed North Korea Today, featuring Casey and Yeonmi). • FSI student Yeonmi Park delivers a speech at One Young World that later gains tens of millions of views online.. • Yeonmi Park, FSI’s first North Korean refugee ambassador, goes on a speaking tour across the United States with Casey Lartigue Jr. .
2013	• Casey Lartigue Jr. and Eunkoo Lee begin activities that later become Freedom Speakers International. • FSI holds its first English Matching Session at a TOZ center in Seoul.