WHAT: Author Jerome Sauvage discusses his book, "Witness to North Korea: Three Years on the Ground in the DPRK", moderated by Jonathan Cheng (online)

WHEN: Monday, July 27, 8-9 PM Beijing Time

MORE ABOUT THE EVENT: Few Westerners have on-the-ground experience in the People's Democratic Republic of Korea; far fewer have lived and worked there. Its isolation was deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the expulsion of NGOs, UN agencies and even embassies. In his new book, Jerome Sauvage reveals unique perspectives on North Korea based on his time as a UN Resident Coordinator in Pyongyang. Posted to the North Korean capital for three years, he organized and delivered humanitarian aid, worked with North Korean citizens, and witnessed society's reaction to the death of Kim Jong Il and the leadership transition to the Kim family's third generation. His book describes what Scott Snyder, President and CEO of the Korea Economic Institute of America called "the physical, bureaucratic, and moral hazards, contradictions and frustrations inherent in the United Nations' efforts to bridge the gaps" between the Pyongyang regime and the rest of the world. The talk will be moderated by Jonathan Cheng of the Wall Street Journal. "Witness to North Korea" is available starting Aug. 6 in hard copy, with digital versions available via https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/witness-to-north-korea-9781350568426/​ or other online sources such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jerome Sauvage is an International Affairs Consultant based in the US who specializes in humanitarian affairs and human resource management. He was previously UN Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative for the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from November 2009 to early 2013.

MORE ABOUT THE MODERATOR: Jonathan Cheng is the Wall Street Journal's China bureau chief, its former Seoul bureau chief, and author of the book, "Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult".

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