North Korean defectors show support for Adrian Hong

A member of Fighters for Free North, a Seoul-based human rights group focused on North Korea-related issues, tries to put up leaflets blasting North Korea's Kim Jong-un over the alleged murder of his half-brother Kim Jong-nam, at the North Korean embassy in Madrid, Spain, April 4. In late February, a group of 10 allegedly led by Adrian Hong, a longtime human rights activist, raided the embassy, according to the Spanish National High Court. Courtesy of Fighters for Free North

By Jung Da-min

North Korean defectors may feel a sense of camaraderie toward Adrian Hong, who is a key suspect in the investigation of a recent raid on the North Korean Embassy in Spain.

On March 26, Spain's National High Court removed a secrecy order on the raid which happened Feb. 22, naming Hong as the leader of a group of ten that also involved South Korean citizen Woo Ran Lee and U.S. national Sam Ryu.

Just few hours after the court revealed the news of the raid, Free Joseon, a political organization opposing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's regime, claimed responsibility.

Defectors based in Seoul say they do not know much about Free Joseon nor have they had any contact with the secretive group, but they think what Hong and Free Joseon have been doing is courageous and meaningful.

Park Sang-hak, head of the Fighters for Free North. Korea Times file

Park Sang-hak, who defected from North Korea in 2000 and now heads the Fighters for Free North, a human rights group regularly sending leaflets to the North via balloons to let the truth and facts be known to the people there, said he had known Hong for years although he didn't know much about Free Joseon.

"Adrian Hong is a great person and Free Joseon is a good organization, dedicating itself to promoting the liberation of the North Korean people," Park told The Korea Times when reached April 9.

"I do feel a sense of camaraderie and fellowship towards Free Joseon and I would say they are courageous people fighting for the liberation of the North Korean people."

Park said Adrian Hong once joined him to send leaflets to the North and that he visited Hong when the latter founded the California-based Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), an international non-governmental organization at Yale University in 2004 to help North Korean refugees.

Park claimed the raid on the North Korean Embassy in Madrid, allegedly by Hong, was a good thing as the North Korean embassies in other capitalist countries were criminal groups distributing counterfeit currencies and drugs as well as carrying out other illegal activities to earn hard currency for the regime.

On April 6, Park's Fighters for Free North distributed anti-Kim Jong-un leaflets blasting the dictator for his alleged involvement in the murder of his half-brother Kim Jong-nam with the nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur's international airport two years ago.

Park's group was planning to send the same leaflets to the North around mid-April.

He said he believed that Free Joseon was protecting Kim Jong-nam's son, Kim Han-sol, after rescuing him in 2017 when the group's official name was the Cheollima Civil Defense, based on what he heard from his sources in the U.S.

Park also said it seemed that the recent raid on the North Korean Embassy in Spain was to convey Kim Han-sol's message to the Kim Jong-un regime.

"Hong and other suspected members of the recent raid on the North Korean Embassy was to send a strong message to Kim Jong-un," Park said. "Kim Han-sol is a witness to history that Kim Jong-un murdered Kim Jong-nam with the nerve agent VX."

Choi Hyun-joon, head of the Society for Unification Future. Korea Times file

Another defector, Choi Hyun-joon, settled in the South in 2009 and has been leading a defectors group called Society for Unification Future in Seoul, also said that he felt a sense of affinity towards Free Joseon, seeing the recent raid on the embassy.

Choi said this kind of activity would help let the international community know about the "wrongful" North Korean regime.

"Not many people in South Korea and other countries have much interest or knowledge about the North Korean regime," Choi said. "[This kind of activity] could strike a blow to the regime, by repeatedly letting the international community know about [its wrongfulness]."

A general view of North Korea's embassy in Madrid, Spain, seen in this March 13, 2019 photo AP-Yonhap

Who is Adrian Hong?

Adrian Hong, human rights activist long involved with North Korea-related issues. Korea Times file

Hong is a U.S. based human rights activist long involved in helping North Korean defectors, though he has not been affiliated with LiNK for more than 10 years.

After leaving LiNK, Hong had held several different titles, involved with North Korea-related issues.

In 2015, Hong founded the Joseon Institute, which described its mission as to "prepare actionable blueprints on how to manage a transition and prepare for a brighter future in a new North Korea," bearing similarities to Free Joseon's mission statements.

Formerly known as Cheollima Civil Defense, Free Joseon has claimed it rescued Kim Han-sol, who is now under their protection.

On March 1, the group declared itself a provisional government fighting against the "wrongful" North Korean regime, preparing the foundations for a future nation built upon respect for the principles of human rights and humanitarianism.

Meanwhile, human rights activists based in South Korea and the U.S. said they had long known him but had not met him in recent years.

They said they would wait and see the Spanish court's investigation results regarding the recent raid on the North Korean Embassy, sharing different views on the matter.

Casey Lartigue, co-founder of Teach North Korean Refugees. Korea Times file

Casey Lartigue, co-founder of Teach North Korean Refugees (TNKR) in Seoul, said he would not be too surprised to hear that Hong led the raid on the North Korean embassy in Spain, having known him for long time.

"I don't know who is behind the organization or raid, but I can say that I would not be the least bit surprised if Adrian is a leader or the leader of it," Lartigue told The Korea Times.

"From what I know about him, he has been burning for years to do something that would strike at the heart of North Korea."

He added, "If I had been asked to choose 'who is most likely to attack North Korea directly,' then Adrian's name is one of the first I would have mentioned."

Another human rights activist in the U.S., however, said he was not sure if Adrian was involved in the raid.

Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK). Korea Times file

Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK), said Adrian Hong was a dedicated human rights activist and all he had seen regarding the issue was "trial by media."

"I know Adrian as a dedicated human rights activist, who was one of the founders of a prominent organization focused on North Korean human rights," Scarlatoiu said.

"He hasn't been affiliated with that organization for a decade. But, while he was there, he endeavored to rescue many North Korean escapees. Some of them have become very successful. All of them remember him for his courage and leadership."

Scarlatoiu said the last time he saw Adrian was over four years ago, in January 2015.

"We spoke about North Korean human rights and the political situation at the time. I realized that he was the same dedicated individual, deeply passionate and committed to bringing human rights, freedom and justice to the people of North Korea," he said.