04
March 2020
Past Event
Crash Landing into Freedom: The Stories of Former North Korean Soldiers

Crash Landing into Freedom: The Stories of Former North Korean Soldiers

Past Event
华体会, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
March 04, 2020
Share:
04
March 2020
Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C., District of Columbia 20004

Speakers:
Dr. Patrick M. Cronin

Asia-Pacific Security Chair, 华体会

Colonel Steve Lee, U.S. Army (Ret.)

Senior Vice President, Korea Defense Veterans Association

OH Cheong Seong

Former Driver in the North Korean Panmunjom Military Police Unit of the Operations Bureau

LEE Unggil

Former Member of the North Korean People鈥檚 Army 11th Corps Special Forces and Member of the North Korean People鈥檚 Liberation Front

Congressman Ted Yoho

U.S. Representative, Florida's 3rd District, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation

**__In accordance with U.S. government travel advisories aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus in the United States, 华体会 asks that guests who have traveled to or from China, Iran, Italy, Japan, or South Korea within the past two weeks to please refrain from attending events in person and instead to watch events online via Hudson鈥檚 livestream.__**

**__An RSVP does not guarantee entry into the event. Confirmed attendees will receive an email from [email protected].__**

Join 华体会 for an event with two former North Korean soldiers as they discuss their escapes from the hermit kingdom. U.S. Representative Ted Yoho will present keynote remarks on the need for greater freedom across Asia.

Weeks before critical diplomatic talks between the Trump administration and North Korea commenced, OH Cheong Seong successfully attempted a daring escape within the heavily guarded demilitarized zone. Under gunfire, Seong, a driver in a North Korean military police unit, drove a truck to the border and crossed by foot into South Korea. For the first time in public in the United States, he will discuss his escape and the factors that compelled him to flee.

LEE Unggil, a former solider in North Korea鈥檚 11th Corps Special Forces who escaped while completing university studies, will explain the plight of North Korean soldiers and the motivations for those seeking freedom.

Panelists will give insight into what life is like inside the country and describe why so many North Koreans, if given the choice, would choose freedom.

NOTE: This event is open to the press. All members of the media should RSVP to [email protected].

Related Events
07
May 2025
In-Person Event | 华体会
What鈥檚 Happening in Minsk? A Conversation with Belarusian Democratic Leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
Featured Speakers:
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
Peter Rough
Getty Images
07
May 2025
In-Person Event | 华体会
What鈥檚 Happening in Minsk? A Conversation with Belarusian Democratic Leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Join Senior Fellow Peter Rough as he sits down with Tsikhanouskaya for a conversation on the state of affairs in Belarus and the geopolitics of Central and Eastern Europe.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
Peter Rough
08
May 2025
In-Person Event | 华体会
Winning the Fight: How Ending Malaria Advances American Interests
Featured Speakers:
Ken Staley
Ted Yoho
Arran Hope
Moderator:
Michael Sobolik
Getty Images
08
May 2025
In-Person Event | 华体会
Winning the Fight: How Ending Malaria Advances American Interests

Experts and policymakers will join Hudson鈥檚 Michael Sobolik to discuss how leadership in the fight against malaria matters to US-China competition.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Ken Staley
Ted Yoho
Arran Hope
Moderator:
Michael Sobolik
08
May 2025
In-Person Event | 华体会
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovi膰 on Europe鈥檚 Growing Role in Transatlantic Ties
Featured Speakers:
Andrej Plenkovi膰
Daniel Kochis
Peter Rough
Getty Images
08
May 2025
In-Person Event | 华体会
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovi膰 on Europe鈥檚 Growing Role in Transatlantic Ties

At Hudson, Prime Minister Plenkovi膰 will discuss the future of the EU-US relationship and why strong alliances are important for meeting today鈥檚 challenges.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Andrej Plenkovi膰
Daniel Kochis
Peter Rough
15
May 2025
In-Person Event | 华体会
European Economic Security in an Age of Renewed Competition
Featured Speakers:
Ruslan Stefanov
Martin Vladimirov
Isaac Levi
Moderator:
Matthew Boyse
Getty Images
15
May 2025
In-Person Event | 华体会
European Economic Security in an Age of Renewed Competition

Join Senior Fellow Matt Boyse for this discussion with Martin Vladimirov, director of the Energy and Climate Program at CSD, and Isaac Levi, Europe-Russia policy and energy analysis team lead at CREA. CSD Program Director Ruslan Stefanov will provide opening remarks.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Ruslan Stefanov
Martin Vladimirov
Isaac Levi
Moderator:
Matthew Boyse