Friday, January 23, 2015

North Korean defector to speak at TEDxIdaho Falls Feb. 20


Organizers of TEDxIdaho Falls announced today that Joo Yang, a North Korean defector, will be one of eight presenters at the event scheduled Feb. 20 at the MC Theater in the ARTitorium on Broadway.

Yang escaped from North Korea across its northern border in 2010. With aid from service organizations, she traveled through a “modern-day underground railroad” before finally arriving in South Korea. Since her escape, she has been studying in South Korea and the United States and speaking out on the plight of North Koreans.

“She is precisely the kind of engaging and mind-opening presenter the TEDxIdahoFalls event was organized for,” said Sean J. Coletti, who coordinated Yang’s participation and is one of the organizers of the TEDxIdahoFalls event. “Yang has some very important life experience that is extremely relevant to some of the current events we are seeing in the news. The ideas she will share, I am sure, will be inspirational and thought-provoking for those in attendance.”

The remaining speakers are still being selected and will be announced over the next two weeks. All interested in attending must apply at TEDxIdahoFalls.com. Seating is limited to 100 people. Those who are unable to attend in person will be able to watch the event live on the Web site or afterward on the Web site, YouTube or the TEDx database.