A North Korean tale of Friendship | Alessandro Ford | TEDxUHasselt
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- Alessandro's story will reveal much more to the world about the mysterious
"hermit kingdom" that is North Korea. Relive the experiences and stories of
the first western student in North Korea.*
Born in Brussels, Belgium, as the son of an English politician and Italian
interpreter, Alessandro Ford travelled to North Korea in 2014 for a
one-of-a-kind study abroad at the Kim Il-Sung University in Pyongyang. An
accomplishment which caught attention all around the globe, being featured
in The Guardian, Deutsche Welle, NK news, among many others.
During his extraordinary stay, he learnt the Korean martial art of
Taekwondo from a grandmaster, studied the language in the country’s most
prestigious university, and also studied, worked, and lived side-by-side
with the students and future leaders of North Korea.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but
independently organized by a local community. Learn more at
ted.com/tedx
For all those complaining, I am sure that someone who lived in North Korea for a bit is aware enough of the danger to either write or post the video under a pseudonym and not give anything too identifying away
i hope he's carefull with the contents in his book by not revealing sensitive details that could possibly destroy the life of his ex north korean friends or get them in trouble
I'm pretty sure he & his editors are smart enough to use pseudonyms for those ppl in his book. D'uh.
Johannes P pseudonyms are mediocre at best. There is a good chance the North Korean government still has a list of the names of everyone that was assigned to interact with him, and regardless if they use pseudonyms it would go directly back to them.
@NICHOLLAS SCHMIDT BASTOS MARQUES PEREIRA SANTOS i invite you to come to Venezuela, in order to know socialism...
@@manuelalejandrofirst just make sure they dont leave..
Is it really safe for his friends to reveal their personal talks like that? Either he knows that it is all right, or he doesn't care about his friends at all.
...or his friend and N-generations of family have since emmigrated.. but honestly, nothing here is offensive in nature, he is actually quite careful throughout this talk.
He could honestly be using made up names
Yea but the government know who was assigned to monitor him even if they use a fake name in the book
Well, but accordingly to how he describes his friend, he always followed the rules and was brainwashed well enough to not do something against his great leader... Being that said, I don't think the friend is in real danger as the worst the book can do is just show the way he thinks and how the author agrees or disagrees with that...
Or maybe he's using fantasy names
NK is a one big psychological research material
He is very clever, but I really hope that what he did in North Korea didn't get Rhee killed :((((
the long audience shots was throwing me off
He's cute and smart and open minded
NOT at all open minded. He went there ready to criticize and acting superior. SHAME!
@thehappyalix
SJW spotted
Open mind please the NK must have brain wash him
Why you guys salty this was a brilliant talk.
I think so too
Say what chu want I ain't trusting anything that came out of North Korea this guy doesn't even realize what he's talking about if ya wanna know the good ya gonna have to learn the bad stuff first
Because he lied in his talk.
gwan giz us some examples with time stamps thanks fam x
Still waiting on those examples?
Your jokes could literally lead to your the death of your friend and his family, dude
@NICHOLLAS SCHMIDT BASTOS MARQUES PEREIRA SANTOS
And what is your family name?
This man is a great story-teller who kept my attention from the beginning to the end.
yes, quite a story, he is going to write his book and enjoy the fruits of celebrity while his friend may end up in a prison camp. North Korean intelligence surely keep an eye on all the videos tourists upload to youtube and other sites.
I'm pretty sure he & his editors are smart enough to use pseudonyms for those ppl in his book. D'uh.
@@Jumpoable North Korean intelligence know precisely which class he studied and who their assigned informants are
@@anneeq008 his roomate is 100% going to end up pretty high up in the government with that level of english experience and trust. don't think that NK intelligence didn't put him with someone they have absolute confidence in. Guarenteed they know everything that was discussed and if the informal survived the 4 months together they were clearly fully satisfied with the job he was doing. There was nothing shared in this talk that was unexpected or would come across as violating his job for the roommate to do
Although I liked the presentation, I couldn't shake the awkward feeling that he is telling a nice story about his pet...
The moment he said that they have no internet, my wifi turned off... fascinating talk
As interesting as it is, he does tell his story with a very unpleasant feeling of superiority
Didn't feel that at all
What he said about the North Korea is exactly like China in the 1960s when Mao was in power. Humans think and behave the same given the same condition/environment.
Kim Jun Un,
Kim Jun Deux,
Kim Jun Trois
Earth GraVoNNe Kim Jun Onze
Kim Jun Douze
Kim Jun Tres
Kim jun quatorze
kim jun quinze
kim jun dix-six
kim jun dix-sept
kim jun dix-huit
kim jun dix-neuf
kim jun vingt
Hahaha....
@@KoreanwithMissVicky
Finally, SOMEBODY laughs .....
It took a while.
I find myself, at this moment, clapping alone in an empty house and reflecting on my own circumstances which people around me see little hardship in and even I see as something that these other people could breeze by easily but to me feels like the weight of the world and my entire life. :|
thank you for spoiling agents of shield
btw. awesome talk man
ok but the episode he spoiled came out three years ago
I'm so glad I noticed this comment damn, why does everyone expect people to have seen every show and movie that's a little old.
I hope this (& his book) didn't get his "friend" killed...
How was Agents of Shield downloaded in North Korea? Isn't the internet not open, let alone to torrenting?
I was confused too lol
The Chinese have access to their internet servers.
HodgePodge foreigners have access to internet
They may have access to the internet, but it's not a free for all. I think this downloading of the TV show was a device to tie his talk together. It wreaks to high heaven of it being a falsity.
You're correct! The internet is not open in North Korea, but there is a group called the North Korea Strategy Center [NKSC] that smuggles in USBs and SIM cards with Western and South Korean TV, offline internet, News, and documentaries. Roughly 25,000 North Korean citizens see uncensored media in secret this way each year.
It's highly illegal and very dangerous, but also not unheard of.
A tale of friendship which will probably get your friend killed in North Korea. It seems like a possibility with North Korea. So I hope this video does not reach North Korean IT department.
An interesting speech with an excellent insight. I am quite worried for his friend in North Korea. Most of the documentaries or speeches that I have watched were by refugees who are safe in South Korea or other parts of the world. His friend still stays in North Korea and the repercussions of this speech and the book that will be released can be fatal for his friend.
BRILLIANT! Thank you for sharing, you are greatly commendable and inspiring!
This was bloody amazing... such formidable questioning..
He obviously got his 'friend' killed.
Nevermind95 no he didn't most probably his friend would be rewarded for doing his job
i hope so.
Pretty sure he & his editors are smart enough to use pseudonyms for those ppl in his book. D'uh.
@@Jumpoable troll
Thank you Alessandro Ford Good luck 🍀
Did he take his visit as a joke or what? Sounds like he was pestering his so called "friend" into difficult situation that could have gotten him punished or worse, killed. Public executions are still commonplace in North Korea, Alessandro should know that, even if they would never perform one in front of him.
Fantastic, well done. Great talk!
What an insensitive speaker and with complete disregard to the repercussions this information might cause for those involved.
His friends are fine.
His friend is fine there is no way kim jong un would care about stuff like this
One of the few western students they allowed into their country isnt monitored or watched yeah right kim jong un will hear about this.
I'm pretty sure he & his editors are smart enough to use pseudonyms for those ppl in his book. D'uh.
Wonderful talk!
great talk man i loved it the meaning the interesting things behind the talk the Agents of shields story
Loved this!!
very compelling orator. He said he was writing a book. Did he bother? I can't find it
I Like This Guy... He's Brave With Hidden Humor On Realities Of That Country!!!!
The masterpiece!
How audacious.... if these stories were true, he wouldn't be standing there. He would be rotting in a cell together with his 'friend', if lucky. This kind of storytelling is good for a saccharine Hollywood film or an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians. I don't believe in one word he said, and if any of it miraculously happens to be true, this kid must be lacking any sense of responsibility for his actions. Putting someone's life in danger to bloat his own ego.....
Ada Nski we don't know the whole story
And you know that how? You’ve never been to NK and clearly never shared an experience like this. Why do you assume that you’re more knowledgeable on the issue than he is?
I would presume you've never been to North Korea. This man has. I feel like one of the points of this talk was for him to portray that NK is still a functioning country where people converse/have careers/live lives, and where speaking doesn't immediately result in you being tied up and murdered along with the rest of your family. on the other hand, he certainly doesn't approve of the place and points out how his friend was definitely monitoring him. But I presume you, a westerner who's watched a few North Korean documentaries and read some political cartoons on the place knows much more about the country than this boy. smh
I’ve never been to North Korea. There is a 99,99% chance that neither did any of you.
And yes, in NK you do get killed for speaking up or even making contact with foreign culture, be it reading a book from outside North Korea or watching a Western movie.
NK is not a functioning country, more of a failing state where people are dying of starvation in millions. But don’t take it from me - listen to the stories of NK’s defectors like Yeonmi Park and come back then.
was interesting, but I also thought that he was a bit full of himself.
Did not get that vibe at all
And now his friend is going to a work camp THANKS to your brilliant story and your 15 mins of fame.
awesome talk
excellent talk
Check this guy’s resume. He now works for the NK government abroad.
Finally, someone who responded to this video from only one month ago. Seems he did not really mention if the study program at the university was any good.
powerful story and makes you really think "what if I was there? Could I live like that?" 😣I know I would not like it at all and would feel like I'm in a prison .I'm so sorry his friend chose to live that way and hasn't talked to him in a year or so ...😔I would be so hurt and would always wonder if they ever think of me and if they were alright ?
He's great orator. I want that confidence.
Little did Alessandro knew that his friend would eventually become the next Great Leader of North Korea.
He seems enjoying the fame and popularity he gets, but forgets about the risk of his friend's life and safety..
Maybe I haven't been there or experience my self but I often watch many interviews of North Koreans defectors who escaped and they said that NK government had many spies especially in china n south korea, even many of those defectors were caught by the spies and had been returned into North Korea n got the punishment from the government.
Yup, this video is good n he tries to convey some information about NK but how about his fren there? How about his fren as the source of info who still lives there??
I mean seriously dude, he even showed his friend's photo, his face, n mention his name...
And I just think this is kind of scary and risky things for his fren..
I think that's okay for him to convey some info but....
he probably should not show his fren's face and mention his fren's name for his fren's safety.
Pretty sure he & his editors are smart enough to use pseudonyms for those ppl in his book. D'uh.
@@Jumpoable pls stop posting this message everywhere because I seriously doubt that as he maybe watched without noticing it and his friend and family could be in great deal of trouble now.
Thanks heaps.
Well, you and your friend obviously don't know that "private property" isn't the same as personal property. In communism you still have YOUR house, with your belonging which YOU USE - personal property. Private property is property which is bought to make profits like empty houses, unused land, bonds etc. which the communists see as theft. Their logic is that if you don't use something, it's not YOURS and taking it (regardless that you pay with money) and claiming it's yours is theft, because you take something from the evironment (and deny it from the rest) without it being democratically distributed to you.
Amazing
You just got your ''friend'' in serious trouble.
thanks for sharing, great job.
This is a disturbing talk. He made me care about Ri and condemned him and his family with the same breath. Ri doesn't even have to make a choice about his future at this point.
what challenges did this dude have? im honestly confused?
Very balanced view.
i said this in another comment, but how do we know that his friends that were chosen to interact with him aren’t working for the government?
Fascinating
I can’t be the only one thinking “God he’s cute”, right?
Does anyone happen to know the name of the book he mentions where he talks about his trip to North Korea?
Brilliant
4th season of Agents of Shield was soooo good.
Tell Otto , you know the young man who was tortured to death in North Korea for taking a poster of dictator 🚀 Rocket man .. how can anyone travel to North Korea then brag about it .. I bet the Koreans who escaped from that country would disagree with you.
Very interesting speech.
This is a great ted talk. It really had me thinking, and counting my blessings
Is this what ted talks have come down to ? Someone tell him to blog or some shit.
In what way is this devolved? TED Talks have always been about new ideas but most importantly, a new understanding on current concepts and aspects of lives. This was a fascinating look at country we know little about. You may THINK that it is only North Korea that knows little about us, but the propaganda machine flows both ways. Because they are so cut off from the world most of what we learn will be skewed and massively Bias. This is a very interesting look at the Country via a 1st hand account, a reliable account. It may just be one the first pieces to help the world start to understand, so that it may heal
I like this guy
Eye opening talk! I'm afraid Alessandro's level of English was lost on the flemish crowd. Lackluster crowd overal, who didn't understand his witty british style humour.
I hope his friend is ok, but I'd have talked cautiously. He should know how it works there
Super amazing talk & experience 👏
He looks like 40% Shawn Mendes
4:50 that guy falling asleep tho
He's way too cute!!!
I'm so over this kind of ridiculous self propaganda.
Absolute fail. This is sort of travel story telling got his friend killed for admitting to watching a banned TV show.
great talk dear but u put your frnds life in risk by mentioning his name
I thought North Korea wasn't allowed to have any people from outside the country in? at least not as students. How did he get this opportunity? To come and go.
Megan Neighbors wanted to know how he downloaded the TV show....
Google holiday in North Korea. British people have visited for years some even work in the schools as teachers. They do have the internet but it is a intranet and even that is restricted to the trusted classes. As a long term visitor he would have had access to that. Clearly neither of you know about the country. My sister visited last year with Koryo Tours.
North Korea is open to any nation tourist unless their nation bans it. Americans were allowed until Trump banned it.
I doubt NK would want any more Americans.
Democractic Peoples Republic of Korea on the contrary it brought in money that they desperately need.
Is Rhee safe and alive??
i like ted
but this guy annoys me....
intelligent boy with great eyebrows how do I get one of him
the guy at 4.53 is falling asleep HAHA
@10.08 in capitalist countries we start to eat, sleep and breath "money". In communism man exploits man and in capitalism its just the other way round.
So did he use a vpn to download an American film or what
You did not bow statue and complain about something North Korea. You are lucky to back United Kingdom which hometown Let me see the American guy was rude in North Korea airport.Unfortunately he did not back to his country was big issue in the word. What ever they want they did such as napping japan women and had a baby with Kim president then now his son become reader North Korea President. just moment..., Where is the original his son? He died recently in airport. He was study in Europe long time... Let me have a question, WHY HE KILLED HIS FAMILLY ? I think he want take his position as long as he die, his age young to take this position may other person take it. Do you know the feeling about king It is like never give up and deeply continue sequence. I hope that everyone get free and piece of them and everyone can study out of country to develop there courier not only few special people and offend mind to communicate with south Korea AND other country. Don't behind security things. Is that make a sense ?
13:24 that ladies side eye xD
someone is having a beautiful dream i guess 8:37
How in the world did he download the TV show????? They have no internet!
Totally copy/pasting this from another comment I left, but here you go!:
"You're correct! The internet is not open in North Korea, but there is a defector-lead group called the North Korea Strategy Center [NKSC] that smuggles in USBs and SIM cards with Western and South Korean TV, offline internet, News, and documentaries. Roughly 25,000 North Korean citizens see uncensored media in secret this way each year.
It's highly illegal and very dangerous, but also not unheard of."
Also they do have a intranet. It is like saying the USA doesn't have heroin! Course they do either in restricted use (ie like their intranet) or illegal use like street heroin.
He keeps calling North Korea Socialist. Sweden,, Denmark, The U.K. ,etc. can be called Socialist. But North Korea, like China, is Communist. Socialism assumes that with reasonable amount of support and education its citizens are fully capable of taking care of themselves. Communism on the other hand assumes responsibility for the people, or,rather, believes it knows best, and assumes ownership of its subjects.. Socialism and Communism are opposites.
you could say though that socialism is just one step back from communism, but I'm probably wrong
18:43
"here is a picture of us" -doesnt show pictures of them
there's so many things I'm confused about, which I'm almost certainly sure has everything to do about a social class that shouldn't even exist there.
there's supposedly no alcohol consumption in NK, which we should know the 'great leaders' do partake. I recall one video where someone said he had bought alcohol for his dad and it was expensive... so anyone cab buy alcohol in NK? athis guy says he got drunk there. Is alcohol consumption just not really regulated or can just possibly more privileged people get it?
what about that Internet connection? I recall another Ted talk say how north Koreans didn't even know the Internet existed, and she was referring to college students going into computers. Another Ted talk tells me she would Ilegally watch Chinese TV under her blankets at home. Only for this Ted talk to tell me he can just download agents of s.h.e.i.l.d without anyone caring?
it should be obvious but I'm going to ask anyways, are things such as alcohol and unrestricted WiFi more unregulated for certain groups or what? because I always thought it was strict as hell about those things.
A job well done. Excellent speech.
Everyone knows Rhee got executed
So young, so confident, so sad that he publicises the words of his friend although in his friend's favour, it could all be for publicity.
Just replace Great Leader by God
Communism is usually atheistic. Deities are replaced by the leaders of the country, and they are worshipped like gods.
His grandfather was the King of Gods.
Yes, bow to me peasants.
I hope your talk didn't kill your friend! How could you hide his identity tho' and still profit from your story.
What I can't get my head around is that he was in North Korea for 4 months but he can't pronounce any korean words properly and he said he learnt korean 😂
Well, Korean is quite complicated and I greatly doubt he could know it perfectly after 4 months only. Not to mention he studied in a prestigious university where maybe English was used to accommodate with the foreign students
You know it takes years to master a language...right? Accents don't disappear in 4 months.
He smacks his lips too much it's distracting
what an orator, i love this brilliant talk
why is his right ear so red though
Rachel O probably because he's nervous/ excited.
@ 3:36 I swear to god I would've ended up killed or in jail if I were there. I would've sat there and told everything without even caring 🤦🏻♀️
He might be able to
...what?
Downloading foreign things in North Korea is banned what the heck