North Korea's Changing Society:

Insights from a young North Korean defector 

About the Event: The mainstream narrative on North Korea focuses on Kim Jong-un, nuclear weapons, missiles and (bizarrely) Dennis Rodman. However, beneath the high-level histrionics there are 24 million North Koreans quietly driving multiple bottom-up social changes, including grassroots marketization, corruption and new information flows. This event will be a unique opportunity to learn more about these changes from the direct experience and perspective of a young North Korean defector, in his own words in English.                                     

       Guest Defector Bio: Seongmin Lee grew up in a North Korean border town
       and was involved in cross-border smuggling from an early age until his
       defection in 2009. He is currently a student at Hankuk University of Foreign
       Studies and a participant in HanVoice's Pioneers Project, and was
       previously a student journalist for the South Korean Ministry of Unification.

This event is co-sponsored by the Council of Korean Americans, Liberty in North Korea, and the Sejong Society of Washington DC. 

Council of Korean Americans (CKA) is a national network of individuals building a strong, clear voice for our community. Our priorities are to advance Korean American leadership across all sectors, to invest in the next generation, to engage in the political process, and to advocate on issues of importance to our community. Our 46 members are entrepreneurs, senior government officials, corporate executives, lawyers, non-profit leaders, experts in academia and media/communications. We are 1st, 1.5, 2nd, and 3rd generation Korean Americans. www.councilka.org 

 Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) is an international NGO dedicated to accelerating progress for the North Korean people. LiNK brings North Korean refugees out of China and through Southeast Asia to countries where they can resettle in safety and freedom, and works at the grassroots and international media levels to broaden the mainstream narrative on North Korea to increase understanding and build support for the North Korean people. www.libertyinnorthkorea.org

Sejong Society of Washington DC is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to educate, inspire and build the next generation of Korea specialists. We promote education, leadership and understanding of domestic and foreign policy issues related to the Korean peninsula. www.sejongsocietywdc.org