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
10
June 2025
Past Event
North America at a Crossroads: Advancing Economic Security
Featured Speakers:
Erin O’Toole
Sergio Gomez Lora
Thomas J. Duesterberg
Luke Coffey
Moderator:
Candace Laing
Getty Images
10
June 2025
Past Event
North America at a Crossroads: Advancing Economic Security

Join Hudson for a discussion about the future of the continent and how the North American states can increase economic cooperation to strengthen the continent’s security.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Erin O’Toole
Sergio Gomez Lora
Thomas J. Duesterberg
Luke Coffey
Moderator:
Candace Laing
11
June 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Risky Business: How Chinese Companies Use Hong Kong to Evade US Sanctions
Featured Speakers:
Thomas Benson
Samuel Bickett
Joey Siu
Moderator:
Michael Sobolik
Getty Images
11
June 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Risky Business: How Chinese Companies Use Hong Kong to Evade US Sanctions

Join Hudson for an event examining new research about how Beijing exploits Hong Kong’s unique position and why economic and political developments on the island matter for US policymakers and the interests of Americans.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Thomas Benson
Samuel Bickett
Joey Siu
Moderator:
Michael Sobolik
10
June 2025
Past Event
Adapting the US Nuclear Posture in Response to Adversary Threats
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Austin Long
Greg Weaver
Moderator:
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
DVIDS
10
June 2025
Past Event
Adapting the US Nuclear Posture in Response to Adversary Threats

Join Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah L. Heinrichs, the director of Hudson’s Keystone Defense Initiative, for a discussion with Dr. Austin Long and Mr. Greg Weaver on ways the US can increase the credibility of its nuclear deterrent in a dangerous new era.

DVIDS
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Austin Long
Greg Weaver
Moderator:
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
10
June 2025
Past Event
Defending in Outer Space: A Conversation with Congressman Jeff Crank
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Jeff Crank
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
DVIDS
10
June 2025
Past Event
Defending in Outer Space: A Conversation with Congressman Jeff Crank

Join Hudson Senior Fellow Rebeccah L. Heinrichs, the director of Hudson’s Keystone Defense Initiative, and Congressman Jeff Crank (R-CO), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, for a conversation about the threats to American satellites and the policies and programs necessary to defend US interests in space.

DVIDS
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Jeff Crank
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs