Lee Min-hyung joined The Korea Times in 2014 and has worked as a journalist mainly in Korea’s finance, tech and automotive industry. He specializes in content creation, breaking news and in-depth analysis currently on transportation and mobility. You can reach him via mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr.
Anti-North Korea group protecting Kim Han-sol raises bitcoin fund
Kim Han-sol. Screen capture from YouTube
By Lee Min-hyung
By Lee Min-hyung
Free Joseon, an anti-North Korea political group previously known as Cheollima Civil Defense, had over the past two years raised a 38 million won ($34,000) “bitcoin fund.”
According to the group's website, Wednesday, it received 14.22 bitcoin between March 8, 2017, and March 18 of this year, from sponsors of its activities which include support for North Korean defectors.
The group has made seven withdrawals accounting for almost all the bitcoin.
Free Joseon is best known for protecting Kim Han-sol, the son of Kim Jong-nam who was assassinated in Malaysia in 2017. Jong-nam was the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. With the assassination apparently by the North Korean regime making headlines here and abroad, calls grew for the need to save the lives of Jong-nam's immediate family.
The anti-North Korea group has since claimed that it is protecting the life of Han-sol. In 2017, the group released footage of an interview with him, drawing media attention.
Established as Cheollima Civil Defense in March 2017, the organization became mired in controversy over a raid on the North Korean Embassy in Madrid last month. In response it renamed itself “Free Joseon” this month.
At that time, overseas media reported the organization was behind the raid, but no clear evidence of its alleged involvement has been found.