Yi Han-yong
Yi Han-yong | |
---|---|
Born |
Ri Il-nam North Korea |
Died |
26 February 1997 Bundang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea |
Known for | Defection to South Korea |
Parent(s) | Song Hye-rang (mother) |
Korean name | |
Hangul |
이한영 N. 리한영 |
Hanja | 李韓永[1] |
Revised Romanization |
Yi Han-yeong N. Ri Han-yeong |
McCune–Reischauer |
Yi Han-yŏng N. Ri Han-yŏng |
Birth name | |
Hangul |
리일남 S. 이일남 |
Hanja | 李一男[2] |
Revised Romanization |
Ri Il-nam S. Yi Il-nam |
McCune–Reischauer |
Ri Il-nam S. Yi Il-nam |
Yi Han-yong, birth name Ri Il-nam (died 26 February 1997), was a North Korean defector.[3]
Early life
Ri's mother Song Hye-rang's younger sister Song Hye-rim was a mistress of Kim Jong-il; Ri's mother raised Kim Jong-il's and Hye-rim's son Kim Jong-nam alongside Ri and Ri's sister Nam-ok at a secluded villa outside of Pyongyang in order to keep Jong-nam's parentage a secret from Kim Il-sung.[4] He went abroad to Moscow for university, and then defected to South Korea in 1982 while studying at a language school in Switzerland.[5]
Life in South Korea
After defecting, he initially attempted to keep his identity a secret, changing his name and even going as far as undergoing plastic surgery. His life in the South was troubled. He first studied drama at Hanyang University, and married in 1989; however, in 1991, a construction company he started went bankrupt, and he was jailed for 10 months on charges of embezzlement.[5] In 1996, due to his ongoing financial difficulties, Yi made his identity as Kim Jong-il's nephew known publicly, selling the story of his aunt Song Hye-rim's exile in Moscow to South Korean newspapers, and then publishing a book about his experiences entitled Taedong River Royal Family.[3][5]
Death by shooting
Yi was shot on 15 February 1997 near his home in Bundang, Gyeonggi-do by two assailants who were never caught; they were suspected of being members of the Korean People's Army's Special Forces based on analysis of the bullets taken from Yi's body, which were fired from a Belgian-made Browning pistol. He was taken to hospital and kept on life-support, but succumbed to his wounds on 26 February.[3][5]
South Korean prime minister Lee Soo-sung initially stated that the attack was an act of retaliation for the defection of Hwang Jang-yop, who at the time was living in the South Korean embassy in Beijing.[5] The publication of Yi's tell-all book and the defection of his mother in Switzerland the previous year may have served as additional factors in making him a target of the regime in the North.[3][4] Others speculated at the time that his murder was not politically motivated, but was instead related to his gambling debts or a dispute with a lover.[6]
Publications
- Yi, Han-yong (1996), 《대동강 로열패밀리 서울잠행 14년》 [Taedong River Royal Family: my 14 years incognito in Seoul], Donga Ilbo, ISBN 89-7090-110-8
- Republished as Yi, Han-yong (2005), 《김정일 로열패밀리》 [Kim Jong-il's Royal Family], Sidae Jeongsin, ISBN 89-90959-06-3
References
- ↑ Geo, Jae (1997-02-19), "이한영씨 피격 수사 '갈팡질팡' [Investigation into shooting of Mr. Yi Han-yong 'incoherent']", Munhwa Ilbo, retrieved 2010-07-08
- ↑ "独裁者の秘密を徹底検証 ドキュメンタリー金正日 第61回:高英姫が産んだ3人の子供たち", Hokkaido 365, 2007-05-12, retrieved 2010-07-08
- 1 2 3 4 Gim, Song-a (2007-02-26), "이한영 피살 10년 추도식 [Memorial service for 10th anniversary of Yi Han-yong's murder]", Daily NK, retrieved 2007-10-30
- 1 2 Lee, Adriana S. (2003-06-23), "Secret Lives", Time Magazine, retrieved 2007-10-29
- 1 2 3 4 5 Pollack, Andrew (1997-02-17), "Korean shooting is casting cloud on signs of thaw", The New York Times, retrieved 2007-10-30
- ↑ Pollack, Andrew (1997-02-18), "Allied Friction in Korea", The New York Times, retrieved 2007-10-30