The Financial News (Korean) has cited a report in Radio Free Asia that the heads of six North Korean defector organizations engaged in “anti-North Korean activities” in South Korea, China, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Japan met in Tokyo on Nov. 19-20 and agreed to form a “North Korean government-in-exile” next March. The groups decided to from the government believing they needed a stronger organized body to push for democratization in North Korea.
The government-in-exile will include Japan-based former South Korean Workers Party head Park Gap-dong (a double defector!) of the Choson Democratization and Unification National Salvation Front, Kazakhstan-based former North Korean Vice Minister of Culture Jong Sang-jin of the Alliance for North Korean Democratization and Unification, former North Korean Air Force Vice-Air Marshall Yu Song-gil of the Action Headquarters for North Korean Democratization and Mongolia-based former Kim Il-sung secretary Hong Song-su of the Headquarters of the Movement to Overthrow Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il [Note: Names translated from the Korean].
Of course, South Korea — which doesn’t officially recognize the existence of North Korea — has an official “government-in-exile” of sorts. Or at least “representatives-of-the-five provinces-in exile.” The Oranckay explained a little about them in a post in September.
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5 Comments
The original article at the Radio Free Asia hompi has some very interesting details. Someone in a translating kinda mood can play with it.
Kinda funny that RFA is the first place to get this story. Makes both a little suspicious… in a good way!
Will be interesting to see whether the govt-in-exile in Japan gets to tangle with the Japan-based pro-NK groups. Heh.
Kevin
Good article. I have been obsessing over the changes in North Korea. So,I am very glad to find your blog! I just read that NK is having a massive manhunt for defectors on the China border. Know anything about that? I also have been following articles about the son of one of Kim’s top generals. Seems the son, Oh-See Wook, has gone missing and is being sought assiduously.
-the Japan-based pro-NK groups.
Chongryon has many members among Yakuza.
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