Timothy Cho escaped North Korea twice and was imprisoned 4 times before he turned twenty. He now works in the UK Parliament on North Korea.

Timothy Cho: Breaking the Chains of Shadow: A Journey Through Suffering to Faith, Resilience, and Hope

Organiser: Conflict, Security and Societies Nexus, LAWPL

Summary: Timothy Cho escaped North Korea twice and was imprisoned four times before he turned twenty. He now works in the UK Parliament on North Korea, refugees and human rights.

About the talk:

Reflecting on his past, Timothy shares: "Living in totalitarian North Korea, I didn't know who I was, what choices I had, what I loved, or what my dreams were. The past 17 years of living in democratic Britain and pursuing education have helped me discover my identity, passions, and the values I stand for - our intrinsic democratic principles of freedom of faith, expression, speech and opportunity."

Timothy Cho escaped from North Korea twice. Before he turned twenty he had been arrested and imprisoned four times, in China and in North Korea itself. He has now lived in the UK for seventeen years, studied international relations at Salford and Liverpool, and works as Secretariat of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea. Alongside that he speaks regularly at schools and universities around the country, which is what brings him to us.

He starts with what that job actually involves: how an All-Party Parliamentary Group works, what gets raised about North Korea inside Westminster, and how much of it actually goes anywhere. The group's main focus over the past two years has been North Korean troops fighting for Russia in Ukraine, and he will go through what is known about the deployment and why Parliament has taken an interest in it.

He then moves out to the bigger picture, looking at North Korea's relationships with China and Russia and what they mean for South Korea, which sits in a position no other country does.

The last part goes back inside the country itself, and what the system looks like from within, how it holds together, and what it does to someone growing up in it. He is speaking here from his own experience.

Open to all Cardiff students and researchers! This talk runs for 90 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of questions.

About the speaker

Timothy Cho is a two-time escapee who endured imprisonment on four occasions in China and North Korea. After his parents fled North Korea, he became a homeless member of the "enemy class" - a persecuted group comprising families of regime defectors who are systematically denied opportunities. Since resettling in the United Kingdom, he has earned a BA in International Relations and Politics from the University of Salford and an MA in International Relations and Security from the University of Liverpool.

In 2023, Timothy was honoured with Alumni Awards from the University of Liverpool and the University of Salford, and received a Ministerial Award from South Korea's Ministry of Unification. He served as an aide to Fiona Bruce MP for Congleton in 2018–2019 and currently serves as the Secretariat of the United Kingdom All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea. Timothy is also an Open Doors UK & Northern Ireland Spokesperson for North Korea and an Ambassador for Aid to the Church in Need, advocating for persecuted Christians and promoting religious freedom around the world.

He stood as a candidate in four UK Local Elections, in May 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2026. He is a regular media spokesperson and contributor, engaging with national and international media outlets while frequently speaking at conferences in the UK and internationally. His engagements include the 49th, 52nd, 55th and 60th sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council on the DPRK, as well as at the UK Parliament, the EU Parliament, and other national Parliaments, where he has addressed human rights abuses, political and religious persecution in North Korea and other nations.

About the Conflict, Security and Societies Research Nexus

The Conflict, Security and Societies Research Nexus is a collaborative network at Cardiff University's School of Law and Politics. We support researchers working on any aspect of conflict, security, or society, and encourage cross-disciplinary conversations between Law, Politics and International Relations.

The nexus is open to all, regardless of career stage or disciplinary background. Our year-round programme includes public lectures, research-in-progress sessions, and curiosity cafés, alongside two emerging research clusters: one focused on understanding and countering the far right, the other on the relationships between violence, justice and security. These clusters are a starting point rather than a boundary, and we welcome colleagues to propose and develop others.

Find the venue here:

https://www.accessable.co.uk/cardiff-university/access-guides/large-shandon-lecture-theatre-1-64

Teitl

Torri Cadwyni'r Cysgod: Taith Drwy Ddioddefaint i Ffydd, Gwytnwch a Gobaith

Description supplied by the event organiser.