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
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
March 04, 2020
04
March 2020
Past Event

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

Speakers:
Dr. Patrick M. Cronin

Asia-Pacific Security Chair, Hudson Institute

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’s Army 11th Corps Special Forces and Member of the North Korean People’s 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, Hudson Institute 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’s livestream.__**

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

Join Hudson Institute 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’s 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
30
July 2025
Virtual Event | Invite Only
Gaza: Aid, Influence, and Information War
Featured Speakers:
Johnnie Moore
Michael Doran
Getty Images
30
July 2025
Virtual Event | Invite Only
Gaza: Aid, Influence, and Information War

Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow and Director for the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran for a conversation with Reverend Johnnie Moore, president of the Congress of Christian Leaders and founder of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Johnnie Moore
Michael Doran
31
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
How Congress Can Rebuild US Shipbuilding and Boost Maritime Security
Featured Speakers:
Austin Gray
Matthew Paxton
Scott Sloan
Mike Smith
Lawrence Ryder
Moderators:
Bryan Clark
Michael Roberts
DVIDS
31
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
How Congress Can Rebuild US Shipbuilding and Boost Maritime Security

Join Hudson Senior Fellows Bryan Clark and Michael Roberts for a discussion with government and industry leaders about the challenges the US Navy and Coast Guard face amid modernization efforts and how new legislation and regulation can help restore America’s maritime superiority.

DVIDS
Featured Speakers:
Austin Gray
Matthew Paxton
Scott Sloan
Mike Smith
Lawrence Ryder
Moderators:
Bryan Clark
Michael Roberts
01
August 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Peru’s Strategic Moment
Featured Speakers:
Diego de la Torre
Francisco Tudela
Marc Wachtenheim
Amb. Hugo de Zela
Moderator:
Daniel Batlle
Getty Images
01
August 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Peru’s Strategic Moment

Join Hudson Adjunct Fellow Daniel Batlle and a panel of leading analysts as they examine what lies ahead for Peru and whether the country can convert its economic potential into lasting security and sovereignty ahead of its 2026 elections.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Diego de la Torre
Francisco Tudela
Marc Wachtenheim
Amb. Hugo de Zela
Moderator:
Daniel Batlle
29
July 2025
Past Event
Other Approaches to the US-Canada Trade Impasse
Featured Speakers:
Hon. Ed Fast
Jamie Tronnes
Moderator:
Matthew Boyse
Getty Images
29
July 2025
Past Event
Other Approaches to the US-Canada Trade Impasse

Join Hudson Senior Fellow Matt Boyse for a discussion with former Canadian Minister for Trade and Economic Development Ed Fast, and CNAPS Executive Director Jamie Tronnes, as they explore a new path forward for US-Canada relations and what other allies can learn from the process.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Hon. Ed Fast
Jamie Tronnes
Moderator:
Matthew Boyse