The Korea Times

'Too big, too friendly'

Over 13 years and more than 1,000 forums. That probably is close to the number of talks I took part in, either speaking or moderating for North Korean refugees speaking with travelers, university and high school students, businesspeople, housewives and so on. As I have written in the past, almost all of the sessions have been lovely. There are often tears, hugs and lots of praise for the North Korean refugees and our organization. Are you still reading? Negativity sells much better than positivity. Today I will talk about one of the main problems with some of the forums: superficial comments by attendees based on a 60 to 90 minute group engagement with a North Korean refugee. To be clear, it isn’t only with attendees at our events. A big problem in this world is people thinking they can read the minds of others or making superficial judgments about others. To those who will claim I am doing the same thing, I have moderated and spoken at more than 1,000 forums. This is the first time I am saying this publicly after more than a decade of observation. I thought about this after North Kore

Jul 20, 2026By Casey Lartigue Jr.

Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Constantly grim statistics on suicide

President Lee Jae Myung recently called the nation's suicide rate "a disgrace," saying there is "no greater disgrace in the world than this." He criticized weak intervention systems, insufficient staffing for suicide hotlines and the tendency to treat suicide as an individual problem rather than a national crisis. Tough talk, but will it make a difference? Koreans have heard serious presidential rhetoric about suicide before, and the country has continued to record the highest suicide rate among OECD countries. Let's take a walk down memory lane. In 1983, approximately 2,700 Koreans died by suicide, a rate of seven per 100,000 people (although numbers were probably uncounted then). During President Kim Young-sam's term (1993-98), 25,000 Koreans died by suicide, averaging around 5,000 deaths annually. The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis broke the dam: Deaths jumped from roughly 6,022 in 1997 to 8,569 in 1998, a 42 percent increase in a single year. No administration has managed to return the country anywhere near the baseline it once held. President Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003), who inherited th

May 18, 2026By Casey Lartigue Jr.

Casey Lartigue, Jr.

34,537 escapes, countless stories

This year, Freedom Speakers International (FSI) has scheduled 198 events featuring North Korean refugees speaking to tourists visiting South Korea. Almost every time I moderate a session and mention that fewer North Koreans are escaping to the South, someone in the audience asks: “So is FSI shutting down soon?” The short answer is no. To be clear, the declining numbers of North Korean refugees escaping does have a real impact. Hanawon, the government-run resettlement center that processes most North Korean refugees arriving in South Korea, has seen its caseload shrink so dramatically that the Ministry of Unification is consolidating its two facilities into one. One North Korean refugee who went through Hanawon in 2006 told me there were about 500 North Korean refugees there at the time. When she returned years later as a mentor and speaker, she said there was only one North Korean refugee left in one of the facilities. When travelers ask if it has an impact on FSI, I say, not at all, although I sense many believe I am putting on a brave face. Of course, I want more North Koreans to

Apr 30, 2026By Casey Lartigue Jr.

Casey Lartigue, Jr.

A North Korean girl who no longer exists

A teenage girl who fled North Korea 15 years ago no longer exists. She escaped in a hail of bullets from border guards chasing her and two human smugglers. Han Song-mi escaped on March 19, 2011, to join her mother, who had escaped six years earlier. Fifteen years later, she is a different person. When Song-mi first arrived in South Korea, she was unprepared for this competitive society. She had attended elementary school for only one year in North Korea. She had spent years doing physical labor for relatives, who saw her as a worker. When Song-mi escaped in 2011, the global conversation about North Korea looked very different. Most discussions focused on nuclear weapons, missile tests and geopolitical tensions. Personal stories from North Koreans themselves were relatively rare in international media. When the country appeared in headlines, it was usually through the lens of diplomacy or security concerns. Today, the landscape is different. Over the past 15 years, audiences around the world have become more familiar with the personal experiences of North Koreans. Memoirs, public speakin

Mar 16, 2026By Casey Lartigue Jr.

A North Korean girl who no longer exists

Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Tearing down South Korea's information wall

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld used to show a satellite photo that told the story of the Korean Peninsula in one image: North Korea at night — pitch black. South Korea — ablaze with light. The difference wasn't just electricity. It was freedom. North Korea's playbook is well-known: block outside information, prevent emigration, control all foreign contact. Yes, just about everyone knows about North Korea's controls, but what about South Korea's? The South Korean government recently started tearing down its own information wall when it overturned decades of law by allowing South Koreans to access information from North Korea. South Korea is the free part of the peninsula, yet in dealing with the North, it has maintained laws that mirror Pyongyang's controls, even if enforcement is inconsistent. North Korea's controls are total, violent and enforced through imprisonment, forced labor and execution, while South Korea's restrictions are legalistic, selective, inconsistently enforced and subject to judicial review. The National Security Law (which prohibits contact with

Mar 1, 2026By Casey Lartigue Jr.

Tearing down South Korea's information wall

Casey Lartigue, Jr.

When trolls tell the truth

Have you ever read or heard criticism of yourself and concluded, "They're right!" That happens to me when internet trolls call me arrogant. If having confidence in myself, not blaming others for my problems and taking responsibility for my decisions means I am arrogant, then the trolls are right. I am not the only person to embrace the label. American sportscaster and journalist Howard Cosell once wrote, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these. Of course, I am." Ronda Rousey, the former UFC champion and Olympic medal winner, flipped the accusation: "Some people like to call me cocky or arrogant, but I just think, 'How dare you assume I should think less of myself.'" Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer star, said, "There are people who hate me and say I'm arrogant, that I'm vain, that I'm like this and that. That's all part of my success." The Danish singer Medina said, "There are many Danes who think I am arrogant, but I love myself, and why should I not allow myself to be proud of what I have achieved?" Inventor Thomas Edison

Jan 5, 2026By Casey Lartigue Jr.

Casey Lartigue, Jr.

I never fail

Whether I’m speaking to an audience, guiding younger professionals, or teaching my university classes, one question comes up repeatedly: What have been your biggest failures? People look surprised when I tell them — I don’t fail. South Koreans tend to react most strongly to this claim, which makes sense given the cultural context here. Korean society views failure as shameful. Students and workers alike face intense pressure to maintain flawless records and avoid any mistakes. Many remain skeptical: How can you never fail? First, I approach every experience as something to learn from. Former anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela said, “I never lose. I either win or learn.” Leadership expert John C. Maxwell advises, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” Thomas Edison has been attributed with saying, “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that will not work.” The tech industry in Silicon Valley embraces a similar philosophy through the mantra “fail fast, learn faster.” Companies in that ecosystem view unsuccessful attempts as valuable data. Each failed

Nov 17, 2025By Casey Lartigue Jr.

Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Get to know your classmates

After serving as a senior facilitator for a Crimson Connect call on Aug. 20 linking Harvard alumni with students, several students contacted me for follow-up Zoom conversations about my career path. A few days ago, I was interviewed for a podcast by a South Korean high school student who wanted to ask about my career. On Sunday, I spoke on Zoom with a young American man who wanted advice on how to get more involved in advocating for North Korean refugees. These are some of the recent conversations that have me reflecting on different ways I’ve found or created jobs for myself over the past three decades. My first professional job in the U.S. started with the way that was common at the time. In 1998, I was teaching English in South Korea and sent blind applications to several organizations in the U.S. I received job offers from the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., Reason Magazine, and even from my safety choices, such as the Bergen Record newspaper in New Jersey. That was the last time I sent a blind application. Every other job came through people or proposals. My approach has bee

Sep 24, 2025By Casey Lartigue Jr.

Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Getting hired in the NK field?

People drop by my office, request a Zoom call or ask me at events: “How can I get a job with a North Korea-focused non-governmental organization (NGO) in South Korea?” I hate disappointing them, but the North Korea NGO field is small, most organizations are underfunded and understaffed, and recent funding cuts have made hiring less likely. The first step to getting involved is the application process. First, learn about the organization and, if possible, participate in its activities before asking to volunteer. Then prepare and submit a strong application, as if you were applying for a paid job. (I once sent a seven-page application explaining what I could do.) If they don’t answer your initial email or application, follow up — but don’t complain on social media. The second step, if you are accepted as a volunteer or intern, is to be a true self-starter. It might mean fundraising, recruiting other volunteers and handling difficult tasks. Don’t wait for managers to hand you tasks. Securing an internship shows strong commitment and can help you build a track record. That’s im

Aug 25, 2025By Casey Lartigue Jr.

Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Visible hand of generosity

Over the years, I’ve been warned many times not to be so public with my work. After praising me as a humanitarian, some have even quoted the Biblical saying, “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” It’s a call to give quietly, without seeking recognition — apparently even from yourself. Heaven forbid if people get inspired by seeing the good work that others are doing. Back in 2013, when Lee Eun-koo and I began activities to empower North Korean refugees, we were funding the work out of our own pockets and managing everything ourselves. We realized that to expand our reach and deepen our impact, we would need a more sustainable path forward. In 2015, I began meeting with prominent South Koreans to ask for advice on how to build a nonprofit in South Korea. One adviser made his case like a prosecutor presenting evidence in court. I am surprised he didn’t call witnesses to testify against me. After listing four reasons we would have trouble with raising money in South Korea, he pointed at me and said, “You’re a foreigner. Koreans will think you’l

Jul 21, 2025By Casey Lartigue Jr.

Casey Lartigue, Jr.

'Too big, too friendly'

Constantly grim statistics on suicide

34,537 escapes, countless stories

A North Korean girl who no longer exists

Tearing down South Korea's information wall

When trolls tell the truth

I never fail

Get to know your classmates

Getting hired in the NK field?

Visible hand of generosity

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