Meet Paul

Paul's Story

Paul’s mother was born in North Korea, but he and his younger sibling were born and raised in China during her journey for survival. While they were still very young, his mother made the fateful decision to leave China with hopes that she and her children could someday thrive in safety. 

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Paul remembers the day they began a lengthy and unusual trip over mountains, crossing a river in a small boat, and hiding very quietly so as not to be shot. Toward the end of that journey he remembers falling asleep and waking up in a detention center for refugees. Although his mother’s goal was to reach the U.S., given the length of time they would have to wait in detention without a guarantee for acceptance, they first had to resettle in South Korea for the sake of their grandmother’s health and recovery. Years later he and his family were able to arrive in the U.S. where they have been working hard to survive, study, and build a new and hopeful future.

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Paul is passionate about political science and international relations. He is very eager to learn as much as he can, enjoys discussing his perspectives, and seeks to gain new insights. Upon moving to the U.S. Paul realized this world is a complex place, and that every country has its own strengths and weaknesses. This realization coupled with his own arduous journey sparked a deep curiosity and longing to understand how his experiences might add value to discussions surrounding world events.

He pursues his current studies with purpose and conviction to use his past experiences and current education to make a difference in this world. While he is still on the path toward U.S. citizenship he proudly considers himself a Korean-American, and hopes to use his personal insights to positively impact the future of U.S.-Korea relations. 

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With this vision before him, Paul is also helping to care for his grandmother and younger brother, and is studying aviation maintenance which he views as a solid profession to help achieve financial stability. Although it is a practical element in his plan, he is fascinated by modern aviation and very thoughtful about the role of transportation technology. Though markedly different from his geopolitical interests, Paul also believes this career path will present him with new opportunities and relationships en route toward his long-term vision. 

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Journey with Paul as he passionately pursues practical goals and far-reaching dreams to help impact the world around him.

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[Note: Given the compromising nature of revealing personally identifiable information of North Koreans, the above image was chosen by Paul to represent his campaign.]