A North Korean tale of Friendship

Relive the experiences and stories of the first western student in North Korea.

This talk was given at .

About Alessandro Ford (UK)

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.

From singing drunken songs in honor of the Supreme leader and bowing at his statue’s feet each morning to talking with his fellow students about their philosophy and dreams, Alessandro’s story will reveal much more to the world about the mysterious “hermit kingdom” that is North Korea.