Casey Lartigue Jr., second from left and Lee Eun-koo, second from right, co-founders of Freedom Speakers International celebrate winning the Global Peace Award during a ceremony in India, Dec. 10. Left and right are North Korean refugees Maeng Hyo-shim and Han Song-mi. Courtesy of Casey Lartigue
For years, Freedom Speakers International (FSI) has worked to empower North Korean refugees by recognizing their talents and contributions within our own organization. However, I have noticed that, because we work with them on a daily basis, it often felt like we were “friends nominating friends” for awards and recognition.
In 2024, FSI facilitated 103 domestic events with travelers to South Korea, welcoming 1,806 participants. These events were typically small, intimate forums. Twenty-seven North Korean refugee speakers participated throughout the year, sharing their stories and building their confidence. We received incredible feedback from both the refugees and the tourists. These domestic engagements were impactful and valued, but in my observation, the seven trips abroad we organized this year had far greater significance.
One of those trips was a remarkable excursion to India. FSI North Korean Refugee Author Fellow Han Song-mi, FSI North Korean Refugee Keynote Speaker Maeng Hyo-shim, FSI co-founder Lee Eun-koo, and I spent three days in India in July, meeting with college students, opinion leaders, journalists and influencers. At our final event, Dr. Anthony Raju of the All India Council on Human Rights, Liberties and Social Justice was so moved by our presentations that he invited us to return to India because he wanted to give our organization an award.
This past week, Freedom Speakers International returned to India to receive a Global Peace Award at a ceremony hosted by Dr. Raju's organization on the United Nations's Human Rights Day on Dec. 10. The experience highlighted how powerful external recognition can be, especially from international platforms with a global audience.
For many North Korean refugees, escaping their homeland means leaving a closed, controlled environment where interactions with the outside world were almost nonexistent. Before their escape, their understanding of the world beyond North Korea was often limited to rumors, smuggled videos, or fragmented information. After reaching South Korea, their engagement with non-Koreans remained largely confined to South Korea itself.
But getting on an airplane, traveling to a foreign country, and meeting people in their own environments is an entirely different experience for North Korean refugees. Many of them traveled to places they either didn't know about or had only seen snippets of in videos. These trips broaden their horizons in ways that domestic opportunities, as valuable as they are, simply cannot. These experiences offer not only the chance to engage with new cultures but also a profound sense of being seen and heard on a global stage.
As the American co-founder and chairman of FSI, I was the primary recipient of the recognition this past week. I participated in a panel with other keynote speakers and was called to the stage during the award ceremony to receive the award. However, as I always do, I made a point to call my entire team to join me on stage. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we were able to bring Song-mi and Hyo-shim on this trip.
After the ceremony, I spoke with both refugees and could see how moved they were by the experience. One of them shared that it was such an honor to be invited on stage and to receive recognition in front of an international audience. “I was so nervous,” she said, “but also so proud to be part of this moment. It reminded me that there are people in this world who are concerned about what happens to North Koreans.”
The other refugee reflected on how such opportunities have come to her because of her involvement with FSI. She expressed gratitude for being invited and for the platform to share her story, saying it was a moment she would always treasure.
I have been on stage numerous times, receiving individual as well as organizational awards, so I may have forgotten how meaningful it was for them as newcomers to be invited. While FSI has celebrated their work internally, and they have participated in domestic events, this was the first time they were publicly honored on an international stage by strangers who saw their value. It was an experience unlike anything they had previously encountered, and it showed me how much external recognition can mean for North Korean refugees.
Each award — domestic or international — has been an honor and a validation of the work FSI has done. I enjoy when FSI and I receive special recognition, but I believe it is time for North Korean refugees to receive recognition as well. Our friends in India made it a point to invite the North Korean refugees who had joined us in July to return with us to receive the award. Thanks to our donors, we were able to cover the costs.
Who else can nominate North Korean refugees for awards? My former podcast co-host Yeonmi Park has received numerous awards in the U.S. and probably from some international organizations. FSI North Korean Refugee Keynote Speaker Jihyun Park has received numerous awards. Advocacy awards, whether domestic or international, not only celebrate their work but also elevate their voices and stories to wider audiences. These opportunities empower refugees to step out of the shadows and into leadership roles, helping the world see them not just as survivors but as changemakers.
Casey Lartigue Jr. (CJL@alumni.harvard.edu) is the co-founder of Freedom Speakers International with Lee Eun-koo and co-author with Han Song-mi of her memoir "Greenlight to Freedom: A North Korean Daughter's Search for Her Mother and Herself.”