What does it mean to live at the very center of one of the world’s most secretive ?and repressive regimes? ?In this talk, Tae Yong-ho, former North Korean Deputy Ambassador to the United Kingdom, provides a rare and profound insider’s perspective on the internal ?mechanics of the North Korean system. ?Moving beyond the common narrative of economic hardship, he explores a more ?fundamental tragedy: how a state-controlled society renders individuals "living-dead" by stripping them of their agency and thoughts. ?Drawing from his personal history as a member of the privileged "core class" ?(songbun) in Pyongyang, Mr. Tae describes his journey from an elite upbringing to ?a career in the Foreign Ministry. He provides firsthand accounts of the rigid social ?stratification that governs every aspect of life in North Korea, where housing, ?education, and even survival are determined by one’s perceived loyalty to the Kim bloodline. Mr Tae Yong-ho was a former North Korean Deputy Ambassador to the United ?Kingdom and the highest-ranking diplomat to have defected to South Korea. ?His defection in 2016 was driven by a profound desire to secure a future of ?freedom for his two sons, who had grown accustomed to life in London. ?Since arriving in Seoul, Mr. Tae has become a leading voice for democracy and ?human rights for North Korean people. ?Mr. Tae made history in 2020 as the first North Korean defector to be elected to South Korea’s National Assembly through a direct constituency vote, representing ?Seoul’s Gangnam District. In 2024, he was appointed Secretary-General of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, marking the highest-ranking government post ever held by a North ?Korean defector. ?An accomplished author, his best-selling memoir, Passcode to the Third Floor, was released in English in April 2024, offering a rare and poignant glimpse into the inner workings of the North Korean regime.