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During the 2025 Commission on the Status of Women Meeting in New York, I gave this statement about how to strengthen the CSW through feminist leadership.

How breaking a board in Taekwondo taught my daughter—and me—about confidence, courage, and gender expectations.

Opening remarks for the awards ceremony for the Cities for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. Today, we gather to celebrate not just individual achievements, but the collective spirit and determination that each of you embodies as a global citizen. The UNA’s commitment to creating a more equitable and sustainable world fills me with hope and admiration . . . Read More

What happens when boys grow up seeing women as scientists, surgeons, and leaders—and how those lessons might change the world.

I fled Pyongyang as a child under cover of night—a journey that shaped my lifelong belief in resilience and global citizenship. In 1947, Pyongyang was under Russian military authority. Life for my family had been difficult during the Japanese occupation and was about to become even harder. My mother, Song Kyung-Shyn, had surrendered her brass housewares and even her wedding ring to the Japanese army for the war effort . . . Read More

From Pyongyang to Michigan, my family carried a treasure no one could take away: the belief that education is freedom.