Kenneth Bae was the longest-held U.S. citizen detained in North Korea since the Korean War (1950-1953). During his 2-year detainment from April 2013 to November 2014, many U.S. officials including Ambassador Robert King and Congressman Charles Rangel repeatedly called for his release. This is a special opportunity to hear firsthand the true story of what took place in North Korea and what efforts were made to bring Kenneth Bae back home. A Q&A Session will follow.
Participants:
Congressman Charles B. Rangel (NY-13), Korean War veteran, host
Ambassador Robert R. King, Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues, U.S. State Department
Kenneth Bae, author, Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea
Limited Seating.
For more info or questions, email [email protected]
Additional Information:
Kenneth Bae, the longest-held U.S. prisoner in North Korean history, breaks his silence surrounding his life-changing ordeal – from his surprise arrest to a US government negotiated release – in Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea (W Publishing Group, ISBN 9780718079635).
Not Forgotten is the gripping real-life drama of one man’s terrifying experience under one of the most repressive and abusive governments in the world. However, it is also a look into the heart of a man driven to help the people of North Korea – one whom ends up sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor with the threat of never seeing his family again. In Not Forgotten, Kenneth shares details from the first harrowing moments of his ordeal to his globally publicized release, while offering a firsthand look into one of the most shrouded countries in the world. Through it all, Kenneth never wavers in his love for the North Korean people, even his captors. His story will offer readers both a compelling narrative of one man’s dedication to serving the less fortunate and a modern testament of God’s faithfulness.
Kenneth Bae immigrated to the United States with his family in 1985. He went to high school in California and attended the University of Oregon and Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He held multiple jobs in sales and marketing until he moved to China in 2006. After years of managing his cultural-exchange business and missionary work, he transitioned into travel and tourism industry in 2010 planning trips for the DPRK (North Korea). Kenneth had a passion to introduce westerners to the untainted beauty of the landscape and the people of North Korea while contributing to North Korea’s economic development. He is a licensed preacher in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), an ordained Southern Baptist pastor, and has been working with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) since 2005. Kenneth is a husband and a father of three children, ages nineteen to twenty-six.
Ambassador Robert R. King became the Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues in November 2009 following confirmation by the United States Senate. Ambassador King works under Ambassador Sung Kim and has the lead on human rights and humanitarian affairs. Prior to his appointment, Ambassador King worked on Capitol Hill for 25 years – 24 of those years as Chief of Staff to Congressman Tom Lantos (D-California). He was concurrently Staff Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U. S. House of Representatives (2007-2008), Democratic Staff Director of the Committee (2001-2007) and held various professional staff positions on the Committee since 1993. Ambassador King holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts. He has authored five books and more than 40 articles on international relations.
Congressman Charles B. Rangel (NY-13) is serving his 23rd term in the House of Representatives, representing Upper Manhattan and parts of The Bronx. He served in the Korean War where he earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service in the U.S. Army during the Battle of Kunu-ri, where he led a group of soldiers out of a deadly Chinese Army encirclement after being almost left for dead on November 30, 1950. The title of his autobiography, “And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since” refers to this day. As a native and longtime Congressman of New York City, he has been a tireless advocate for strengthening U.S.-Korea ties and the Korean community. He spearheaded the passage of the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (aka KORUS FTA) in 2007 and has sponsored numerous legislation, such as resolutions Encouraging peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula and Encouraging reunions of divided Korean American families. He is the Honorary Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, and associate member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
