Thae distinguished members of the House Committee, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. Express myglad to sincere gratitude to chairman royce, who kept his promise to accommodate my wishes to visit the United States and date me this opportunity to testify before the House Committee on affairs. As you are all aware, i worked at the front line of north korean diplomacy until i defected to south korea in summer of 2016. But my story is quite different from other defectors who may have experienced political impression, local oppression, Inhumane Treatment in prison camps, or to avoid hunger and other difficulties. I would like to tell you about my life as a north korean diplomat. Why i defected to the free world. Why actions oh moon is developing and a program and how best to deal with the north korean regime. Causes in north which cannot be dreamed of by ordinary citizens of their. At the age of 14, i was sent to china for a special educational program. More than 20 years of my
Former official at the north Korean Embassy in london who defected with his family in 2016. This hearing took place in early november. Thae distinguished members of the House Committee, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. First, im glad to express my sincere gratitude to chairman royce, who kept his promise to accommodate my wishes to visit the United States and gave me this opportunity to testify before the House Committee on foreign affairs. As you are all aware, i worked at the front line of north korean diplomacy until i defected to south korea in summer of 2016. But my story is quite different from other defectors who may have experienced political oppression, Inhumane Treatment in prison camps, or to avoid hunger and other difficulties. I would like to tell you about my life as a north korean diplomat. Why i defected to the free world. Why kim jongun is developing a program and how best to deal with the north korean regime. I went through causes in north korea, which
Mr. Thae chairman royce, Ranking Member engel, distinguished members of the House Committee, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. First, i would like to express my sincere gratitude to chairman royce, who kept his promise to accommodate my wishes to visit the United States and gave me this opportunity to testify before the House Committee on foreign affairs. As you are all aware, i worked at the front line of north korean diplomacy until i defected to south korea in summer of 2016. But my story is quite different from other defectors who may have experienced political oppression, Inhumane Treatment in prison camps, or to avoid hunger and other difficulties. Economic difficulties. Rather, today i would like to tell you about my life as a north korean diplomat, why i defected to the free world, why kim jongun is developing nuclear and icbm programs, and how best to deal with the north korean regime. I went through causes in north korea, which cannot be dreamed by ordinary citi
Permanent. There is no doubt whose idea that was the reason this matters is because the koreans see themselves as one people, one nation, and one race and would like to be reunified, especially the elder generation of koreans who still have family in the north, some of whom have not spoken in decades. This matters because in many ways koreans hold the United States responsible for that decision. There is a latent stream of antiamericanism running through Korean Society that does not manifest itself, but could manifest itself in a strong way under the right circumstances. The perplexing thing about them sing themselves as one nations they have two different governing systems. How would that rectify itself in their minds . At the deprivation people have in north korea versus the south, how does that fit . It fits by looking backwards rather than looking at the present. The koreans like to claim they have 7000 years of history on the Korean Peninsula as a korean nation. That is not true,
A u. S. Idea. This idea was never supposed to be permanent. The division became permanent, and it is no doubt whose idea it was originally. The reason this matters so much as the koreans have never seen , oneelves as one people race. They would very much like to be reunified. This matters because in many ways, koreans hold the u. S. Responsible for that decision. There is a latent stream of antiamericanism running through Korean Society that does not always manifest itself. The perplexing thing about them seeing themselves as one nation, is they have two very different governing systems. How is that rectified . If you look at the situation and deprivation of people have an north korea versus the south, how does that all fit . It all fits by looking backwards. The korea fund takei the koreans like to claim that they have 7000 years of history. But is simply not true, they do have a very long history as one united people. Has been a fairly recent development in the last 50 years. They lo