AAJA-Asia member and East-West Center fellow Helen Cho has been in Seoul conducting research for the month of March, so AAJA Seoul gave her a warm welcome at a recent dinner.
It only seemed fitting to sit down with Helen at a North Korean restaurant, considering her research focus on North Korean defectors. The restaurant, Ryukyungok, was established recently by the North Korean refugee organization NK Intellectuals Solidarity and some of the staff are defectors themselves.
Seoul members enjoyed a feast of dumplings, stew, fish, savory pancakes and house-made wines made from various fruit (which came served in soju bottles!). Among the topics of discussion were the AAJA-Asia Regional Conference set for May in Hong Kong. We hope to send an enthusiastic group from Seoul in a few months’ time!