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Casey Lartigue Jr.

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Casey Lartigue Jr. is co-founder of Freedom Speakers International, a Seoul Honorary Citizen, and co-author of Greenlight to Freedom.

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Opinion

Why North Korean defectors learn English (5)

Casey Lartigue Jr., right, co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, at his office.Sunhee, female, arrived in South Korea in 2014Some people think that because I am studying hair design and working in a beauty salon that I don't need English, but that is not true.There are so many things about my work that require English, and of course there are also foreign customers that I need to communicate with properly. If I make a mistake because of English, then of course they will blame me and say that I made a mistake because I'm from North Korea.“I have attended many workshops and career fairs where it is clear that you need English. I am at the final stage of a competition for an internship abroad for which there will be an individual English interview. I am now really desperate to improve my English so I can pass that interview and get the internship.Yoon-ho, male, arrived in South Korea in 2008I took a leave of absence from my university because I was struggling with classes, mainly because of English. I had also applied for some opportunities abroad,

Jul 7, 2018By Casey Lartigue Jr.
Why North Korean defectors learn English (5)
Opinion

Defectors' views on Kim-Trump summit

Unyoung, female, arrived in South Korea in 2016I cried when I saw the Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un shake hands. When I was in North Korea, I was taught to hate Americans and America, that North Korea must destroy the USA, and that I must attack Americans whenever I see them. Now that I am free, I have now met some Americans, and they can be nice people. I was so nervous when I first met foreigners, and I was afraid that Americans would try to take advantage of me or to harm me.Of course, there are bad people everywhere, but North Korea only talked about Americans as being killers.What is even more impressive is that this summit means that the two Koreas can find a way to reunify. I'm not against Trump, but the two Koreas need to take this opportunity to find a way to get along. This summit also means that North Korea has showed up at international level. This means North Korea can open up its economy and hopefully its people can be free.Hyeonju, female, arrived in South Korea in 2009I'm not optimistic that this agreement will improve relations. I won't believe Kim Jong-Un h

Jun 23, 2018By Casey Lartigue Jr.
Defectors' views on Kim-Trump summit
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Opinion

Why North Korean defectors learn English (4)

Casey Lartigue Jr., left, teaches a North Korean defector at the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center in Seoul. / Courtesy of Casey Lartigue Jr.By Casey Lartigue Jr.Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, compiled these statements from interviews with refugees studying in TNKR.Sora, female, escaped to South Korea in 2018There have been so many “moments” when I realized that I needed English. When I was living in China, I saw South Korean videos and dramas for the first time. And so many times, they would say words I didn't understand even though they were speaking Korean.I had been thinking about escaping, but I took a long time to do so because of my dog. I knew that it would be impossible to escape together, but I couldn't leave him there. One day he was missing and I couldn't find him. I had to be careful looking for him because I still had an illegal status in China.When I made it to Thailand, a police officer told a joke, but I couldn't understand. He said my face was like the moon, but I thought of th

Jun 10, 2018By Casey Lartigue Jr.
Why North Korean defectors learn English (4)
Opinion

Which businesses will be hot if North Korea opens its market?

Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, compiled these statements from interviews with refugees studying in TNKR.Eun-bin, female, escaped to South Korea in 2012There have already been so many changes when it comes to the summit, so I will just wait and see what will happen. I haven’t really thought about being scared, but now that you are asking, I suppose I should be concerned about the way things could turn out.If there is change in North Korea, then I think the architecture and real estate businesses will be hot. There is a lot of land that is not being used, so people involved in designing and building museums, office buildings and homes will be needed.Shin-hye, female, escaped to South Korea in 2011I do believe Trump’s negotiation style will force North Korea to change, and I’m hopeful. I have lost my trust in the South Korean government, I moved here and have felt safe, but the South Korean government is so determined to appease North Korea that I don’t know what would have happened if not for Trump.If N

Jun 3, 2018By Casey Lartigue Jr.
Which businesses will be hot if North Korea opens its market?
Opinion

North Korean defectors' view on Trump's summit cancellation

Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, compiled these statements from interviews with refugees studying in TNKR.Ken, escaped to South Korea in 2010North Korea was trying to test Donald Trump but he is a different kind of president, he's more of a businessman and he doesn't think about politics. He canceled the summit, but I think it would be more accurate to say it has been postponed.He is a businessman, so if the terms of the deal change, then he will return to the negotiation table. If it looks like a deal won’t happen, then he will do what he said: Walk away from the table. North Korea probably thought it could get away with the same tactics it used with other U.S. presidents, that they could push him. So I’m not disappointed, I see this as being part of Trump’s negotiation process.Hye-yoon, female, escaped to South Korea in 2011Really? I didn’t know. I hadn’t heard about Trump canceling the summit. Now that I know, I can say that I am disappointed. I am not optimistic that North Korean will cha

May 26, 2018By Casey Lartigue Jr.
North Korean defectors' view on Trump's summit cancellation
Opinion

North Korean refugees and public speaking

At Daejin Girls' High School / Courtesy of Casey Lartigue Jr.By Casey Lartigue Jr.After I gave a speech last Friday at an international school in Seoul, I was thrilled to answer a South Korean middle school student who had stunned me by asking an informative question that I had never heard or been asked.I have heard so many of the same questions at events where I have spoken, moderated or attended that I started compiling a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) a few years ago.About 20 years ago during my first sojourn to South Korea, when I first heard about North Koreans escaping to South Korea, the level of questioning by South Koreans I encountered was low.South Koreans would question why “selfish” refugees had “betrayed” their families by escaping, suspected they were criminals running away, and accused them of being spies and double agents. I had not knowingly met any North Korean refugees then, so it was a hypothetical conversation for me, too.At Chadwick School. / Courtesy of Casey Lartigue Jr.Fast forward, with anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 North Ko

May 13, 2018By Casey Lartigue Jr.
North Korean refugees and public speaking
Opinion

Defectors' perspective: Is Kim Jong-un's denuclearization commitment sincere?

Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, compiled these statements from interviews with refugees.Ran-hee, female, arrived in South Korea in 2017If North Korea opens, then I should be able to see my parents. It is unbelievable; I can't trust anything from North Korea because I was deceived by it so many times. Everything about the leadership is propaganda, that's why I'm still upset at the images of South Koreans applauding Kim Jong-un. North Korea will use that as proof that Kim Jong-un is loved in South Korea. The one good thing is that North Korea's elite is always focused on its survival, they don't care about others. If the elite has determined that it must change to survive, then unification will be possible.Young-cheol, male, arrived in South Korea in 2010I hope it won't just be a political show, there needs to be real policy change. At first I was afraid of Trump, but he may be the person who brought the Koreas together with his threats. This is an incredible moment in Korean history.I am hopeful that North Korean refugees will

May 5, 2018By Casey Lartigue Jr.
Defectors' perspective: Is Kim Jong-un's denuclearization commitment sincere?
Opinion

Defectors vs. refugees over North Korea's denuclearization

By Casey Lartigue Jr.In my blog post two weeks ago, I discussed the optimism that North Korean defectors have about the possibility of change in North Korea. Since then, I have heard from a few North Korean refugees who are not convinced. It isn't 100 percent uniform, but I have noticed a general split between defectors and refugees when it comes to prospects for change in North Korea.Defectors versus refugees? Some people may ask: What's the difference between defectors and refugees? From my observation, defectors escaped after being insiders who had lost faith in the regime. Refugees escaped because they were starving or because of other life-and-death issues that were not blatantly political. Some refugees can become defectors after they learn about the reality of North Korea once they are free people able to read beyond texts required by the regime's brainwashers.So who is right, the optimistic defectors that I quoted last week or the pessimistic refugees who have been telling me that those experts are wrong?At the moment, the wind is behind the backs of the optimists. It has bee

Apr 22, 2018By Casey Lartigue Jr.
Defectors vs. refugees over North Korea's denuclearization
Opinion

Why do North Korean defectors learn English? (2)

Q: Many North Korean refugees struggle to learn English. Many refugees who drop out of college cite English as a major reason. What was the moment you realized you needed to learn English to adjust to life in South Korea?Suhyeong, female, arrived in South Korea in 2015I studied basic English when I was in North Korea, but I feel like a baby at English here. What I learned wasn't good enough and because there was so much propaganda, I didn't learn anything useful outside of North Korea. I have been eager to study English here, but because I have three children, it hasn't been easy, and my experience at a hakwon was not good.I encountered Konglish shortly after I arrived in South Korea because I was lucky to get a job quickly. But I couldn't understand so many things that my South Korean co-workers were saying. Sometimes a colleague would ask me to bring something, but I would bring the wrong thing, and they would laugh all day about it. It felt cruel because they would whisper about North Korea, but it did wake me up to the reality that I need English to survive here.Sung, male, arriv

Apr 15, 2018By Casey Lartigue Jr.
Why do North Korean defectors learn English? (2)
Opinion

Defectors' wish-list in reunified Korea

Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, compiled these statements from interviews with the refugees.Question: What would you do if and when the two Koreas are reunited? -------------------------------------------------Sohyun, female, arrived in South Korea in 2011Before I recently changed jobs, I was working here as an insurance counselor. I learned so many things. After reunification, I believe that I could upgrade insurance in North Korea. I would like to be an insurance counselor for North Koreans after reunification, to make sure they have good insurance coverage.It may sound like a personal grudge, but I would also like them to know that juche is a lie, that North Korea was never really independent. I was brainwashed by the regime. Now that I am free, I can read anything and watch documentaries, and I know that North Korea told me so many lies.I would like North Koreans to know the truth about the government and to be free to learn as they wish. So in addition to my possible career as an insurance counselor, I would like to have

Mar 24, 2018By Casey Lartigue Jr.
Defectors' wish-list in reunified Korea
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