Talk: Timothy Cho

We were delighted to welcome Timothy Cho to speak with our students, following student, Emily Rasmussen’s meeting with him during her parliamentary work experience with MP Liz Twist.

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 consisting of families of regime defectors who are systematically deprived of opportunities. Since resettling in the UK, 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 both the University of Liverpool and the University of Salford, and received the 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 holds the Secretariat of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea. Timothy also serves as an Open Doors UK Spokesperson for Korea and as a CREDO Ambassador for persecuted people worldwide.

He spoke to students about his experience in North Korea and subsequent escape, which was emotive and insightful. He discussed how this has shaped the work he undertakes today, speaking about his work with the UN Human Rights Council on North Korea, where he addresses human rights violations, political and religious persecution in North Korea and other nations.