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The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

SCMP
Asia

The Korea Times

Opinion

Columnists

20. Casey Latigue

Why don't more North Korean refugees speak out?

Over the years I have worked with numerous North Korean refugees who have become authors, public speakers, and YouTubers. Despite what appear to be golden opportunities to tell their stories, an alleged “cottage industry,” many more North Korean refugees turn down opportunities to publish books or to engage in public speaking.

2021-08-05 17:00

Comrade, do you have a dissenting opinion?

North Korean refugee Yeonmi Park did it again, this time she went viral because of her comments about political correctness at Columbia University. While some people analyzed her words honestly, some of her loudest critics inadvertently made her case for her with their vitriolic responses.

2021-07-08 17:01

Ethical 'Negroid' hedonist

According to my birth certificate issued by the state of Texas, my parents were both identified as being “Negroid.” Despite that genetic background, many of the most useless conversations in my life have been about race.

2021-06-10 17:13

Flipping the script in discussions

My friends often marvel at my ability to not only think outside of the box, but to flip the box upside down, look at things from both inside and outside of the box, and to even stand on the box. I enjoy flipping the script on myself and others by actively attacking cliches and conventional wisdom

2021-05-13 17:33

Crocodiles of Pyongyang

If your mother says she loves you, check it out. That's an old adage in journalism advising reporters to be skeptical. But should you “check it out” if a broker rescuing you from the crocodiles of the North Korean regime warns there are alligators or crocodiles in a river you are about to cross?

2021-04-15 16:44

Some colleagues are wondering, again, how I would respond to academic researchers and North Korea propagandists describing me as being a troublemaker because of my work with North Korean refugees.

2021-03-18 17:00

'Workable words'

“Go big or go home” is a saying meant to challenge people to do bigger things, but are there other options? It seems if you aren't trying to go viral, win a championship, or save the whole world that you are just spinning your wheels.

2021-01-25 17:23

How to help North Koreans

When a North Korean refugee gives a speech in-person or online, there is a naive question that almost always gets asked: "How can I (or we, or the world) help North Koreans?" Or it may be in the form of “What can be done about North Korea?”

2020-12-17 16:52

Dancing with interpreters

There's an old joke about an American businessman giving a speech in China that greatly amused students at the Seoul University of Foreign Studies training to become interpreters (I teach public speaking to them).

2020-10-27 17:39

Pop-up volunteers: Who sent you?

So you want to volunteer! But no one is answering your messages? Are you baffled that organizations that have heard from you for the first time don't immediately take advantage of your generous offer to volunteer?

2020-08-18 18:10

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