Voices from North Korea
This event brings together North Korean defectors to share their lived experiences of defection, adaptation, and identity in South Korea. It is hosted by Hayoun Noh, a DPhil candidate in the Human-Centered AI group (supervised by Prof. Max Van Kleek) at the Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford. Her research explores how digital technologies shape the transition of defectors from one of the least connected societies in the world to one of the most digitally advanced. It investigates how these technologies can be more thoughtfully designed to support their unique, underexplored needs and help them navigate the social stigma they face in a new society.

Built on in-depth work with over 50 North Korean defectors, this event — organized in collaboration with Freedom Speakers International — creates a space for firsthand narratives to be shared directly by defectors themselves. Freedom Speakers International is a nonprofit organization that supports North Korean refugees in becoming public speakers and sharing their stories with global audiences. The featured speakers are published authors and experienced advocates who have spoken internationally in the U.S., Switzerland, India, Poland, and the U.K. The two-hour session will include talks by the host, the co-founder of Freedom Speakers International (Casey Lartigue Jr.), and three refugee speakers (Yuna Jung, Riha Kim, Sujin Kim), followed by an open Q&A and discussion with the audience.
Date: 13 June 2025, 13:00
Venue: Wolfson Building, Parks Road OX1 3QD
Venue Details: Bill Roscoe Lecture Theatre (Lecture Theatre B) in the Wolfson Building (Department of Computer Science)
Speakers: Yuna Jung (Freedom Speakers International), Riha Kim (Freedom Speakers International), Sujin Kim (Freedom Speakers International), Eunkoo Lee (Freedom Speakers International), Casey Lartigue Jr. (Freedom Speakers International)
Organising department: Department of Computer Science
Organiser: Hayoun Noh (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: hayoun.noh@cs.ox.ac.uk
Host: Hayoun Noh (University of Oxford)
Booking required?: Not required
Cost: Free
Audience: Public
Editor: Hayoun Noh