Practical information
Themes and regions
Related centers and programs
Debates surrounding North Korea are primarily focused on security issues, particularly nuclear and ballistic concerns, relegating the critical situation of the North Korean population and human rights violations to the background. The lack of information about the real living conditions of North Koreans contributes to the absence of attention and discussion on this crucial issue.
This seminar aims to bridge that gap by exploring a recent book that provides a direct account of a North Korean refugee. The co-authors of The Hard Road Out (Harper Collins, 2022) will share their perspectives and testimonies, offering unique insights into the realities faced by North Korean defectors.
This event will provide an opportunity to discuss the human rights situation in North Korea and the tragic economic circumstances facing its population.
Program
Welcome Coffee
Welcome Remarks
- H.E. MOON Seoung-hyun, Ambassador of South Korea to France
- Marc JULIENNE, Director, Center for Asian Studies, IFRI
Panel
Chair:
- Françoise NICOLAS, Senior Advisor, Center for Asian Studies, IFRI
Speakers:
- Jihyun PARK, Senior Fellow for Human Security, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy (CAPS) ; North Korean refugee and co-author of the book The Hard Road Out
- Seh-Lynn CHAI, co-author of the book The Hard Road Out
- Arnaud LEVEAU, Founding Director of Alta Strategies, Associate Professor at Université Paris Dauphine, and Member of the Advisory Board of Asia Centre
Q&A with the Audience
Luncheon cocktail at Ifri
The seminar will be held in English and in a hybrid format, both in-person at IFRI and on Zoom.
Replay
Contact
Céline PAJON
Research Fellow, Head of Japan and Indo-Pacific Research, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri
Related Subjects
Other events
U.S. Politics: Why Are Democrats Unable to Come Up with a Project?
As President Trump's approval rating stagnates in the polls and with 18 months remaining before the November 2026 midterm elections, why is the Democratic Party unable to offer a credible and compelling alternative to middle-class American voters? On what issues and around which figures could the radical left and the moderate left find common ground by then?
Russia, Iran, China, North Korea: The Nuclear Dimension of the Axis of Upheaval
In an international context marked by the resurgence of power rivalries, cooperation between Iran, China, Russia and North Korea is attracting increasing attention.
The Resurgence of Risk in Turkey
Turkey has entered a new phase of turbulence. The arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on March 19, 2025, triggered a broad protest movement, which the main opposition party, the CHP, is attempting to organize. In parallel, the government continues its peace process with the PKK — a development that could profoundly reshape the country’s political landscape.