Empower North Korean Refugees
Hi, I’m Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of Freedom Speakers International (FSI). At FSI, we empower North Korean refugees to share their stories—through public speaking, book publishing, and leadership development. Many arrive with powerful experiences but no platform to express them.
Meet the Authors We're Supporting
📘 Songmi Han escaped North Korea as a teenager and later struggled with trauma and depression—at one point even considering suicide. After joining FSI in 2019, she began learning English, began to have counseling, and enrolled in a university. With guidance from her mentor and co-author, Casey Lartigue, she published Greenlight to Freedom with FSI's support and now gives speeches around the world.
🖤 Sharon Jang was born into the hostile class under North Korea’s songbun caste system. Because her grandfather had been sent to the Aoji Coal Mine, Sharon and her family were forced into coal mine labor across generations. After joining FSI in 2015 ,as a student, studied in every FSI activity, and became a staff member. She began developing her voice—and later published Girl with Black Makeup, with FSI's support, a moving memoir about survival and identity.
🪖 Yeongnam Eom is a rare graduate of both a university in North Korea and a graduate school in South Korea. He joined FSI in 2015, and after years of quiet resilience, decided to share his story. He published with FSI Strongest Soldier of North Korea, recounting his childhood dream of becoming the regime’s strongest fighter—and his eventual decision to seek real freedom.
These are just three of the 600+ North Korean refugees we’ve worked with since 2013—helping them transform from survivors to authors, speakers, and leaders.
Your Support Makes This Possible
Your donation will:
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Fund English and speech training
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Support book publishing and translation
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Provide mentorship and professional development
Goal: $10,000 to support 20 North Korean refugees in our next speaker and author training cohort.
Why Now?
North Korean refugees have risked everything for freedom. With your help, they can gain the skills and support to speak out and shape the future.
Be Part of Their Journey
You’re not just giving a donation—you’re opening the door for someone to speak for the first time.
Join us in empowering North Korean refugees to tell their stories to the world.
