Author Mike Kim to Speak at Principia College

February 13, 2014 Elsah, Illinois Principia’s Speaker Series will present author Mike Kim as the Ernie and Lucha Vogel Moral Courage Lecturer on February 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Wanamaker Hall. In 2003 Kim sold everything he had and moved to the North Korea/China border to help those escaping the oppressive North Korean regime. Kim operated undercover as a North Korean taekwondo student to conduct operations on a 6,000-mile, modern-day underground railroad running from Pyongyang, North Korea to Bangkok, Thailand. He founded Crossing Borders, a nonprofit that helps refugees, and successfully led many to safety in Southeast Asia. Although feeding or sheltering North Koreans could have led to imprisonment, Kim persevered through interrogation, house arrest, and even being held at gunpoint. Seeking ways to bring greater attention to the plight of refugees, Kim returned to the United States in 2006 and spent the next year writing Escaping North Korea: Defiance and Hope in the World’s Most Repressive Country. His life story is currently being made into a feature film. Numerous media organizations have interviewed Kim, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, Fox News, and BBC, and he was a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Kim is currently a managing director at Ferrazzi Greenlight, a management consulting firm and research institute in Los Angeles. Among his duties there, Kim assists the Greenlight Giving Foundation, which serves at-risk youth. Admission is complimentary for Principia students, faculty, and staff; $10 for alumni and Gold & Blue Athletic Club members; $15 for the public. Although books will not be sold at the event, Mr. Kim will sign personal copies of his book after the talk. About Principia College: Principia College is a century-old co-educational institution whose campus, designed by Bernard Maybeck and located on 300-foot bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in Elsah, Illinois, has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Historically, the College has placed significant emphasis on educating its students for global citizenship. Today’s student body represents 37 states and 32 nations. Principia College is an NCAA Division III school.

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