The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Korea walks fine line between US, China in chip war

  • 3

    Jeju-based shamanism researcher documents connection between humans, crows

  • 5

    SHINee celebrates 15th anniversary of debut: 'It feels surreal'

  • 7

    Labor unions seek to attract migrant workers at shipyards

  • 9

    Asiana stops selling A321-200 emergency seats after man opened aircraft door mid-air

  • 11

    RAS KOREAPreserving memories at Cheongju City Archives

  • 13

    Chun Woo-hee becomes chameleon con artist in 'Delightfully Deceitful'

  • 15

    ENHYPEN reaches new career high with latest album 'Dark Blood'

  • 17

    Gov't moves to assist 3,400 Koreans stranded in typhoon-hit Guam

  • 19

    LG Electronics expands social contribution in Middle East, Africa

  • 2

    ChatGPT: boon or bane for banking industry?

  • 4

    Man arrested for opening airplane emergency exit during flight

  • 6

    Arrest warrant issued for man who opened plane door mid-air

  • 8

    Half of medical tourists visiting Korea inspired by K-culture

  • 10

    Hyundai Steel receives EPD certification for low-carbon H-beam products

  • 12

    Anticipated Korean blockbusters to check out this summer

  • 14

    Mirae Asset holds ETF Rally 2023 for global expansion

  • 16

    Korea eyes launch of 4th Nuri space rocket in 2025

  • 18

    Yoon, first lady star on TV show with adopted dog

  • 20

    POSCO named sustainability champion for 2nd consecutive year

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Tue, May 30, 2023 | 10:47
Have I been targeted by North Korea?
Posted : 2014-07-29 17:21
Updated : 2014-07-29 17:21
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
By Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Friends and colleagues who know about my activities with North Korean refugees often ask me: Aren't you afraid that the North Korean regime will target you?

My response? "Are you crazy? You really need to stop watching those spy thrillers and TV dramas." The idea that North Korea would send an agent to knock me off is laughable.

I'm not surprised. There are many people who think their government has enough agents to listen to their chit-chat phone calls, read their chatty emails or view ― and download ― their photos of their family pets. Yes, government agents listen, but probably 99 percent of people have nothing to worry about.

When friends see me in the news, they may think I am important enough for the North Korean regime to target me. Even if my activities caught the regime's attention, I still doubt that it would come after me. Why? I am confident that I am so far down the enemies list that by the time the agents got to my name, I would have already died ― of old age. The Korea Times webmaster uploading my column or the delivery man delivering The Korea Times with my column in it would get knocked off before I would.

I thought about this issue when I moderated a mini-conference on July 13 at which Kang Myeong-do spoke. In 1994, after he escaped from North Korea, he revealed secret details about the North Korean government's nuclear program. Kang has been criticizing the North Korean regime for at least two decades, yet he is healthy. When I meet with heavyweight critics of the regime ― Suzanne Scholte, Shin Dong-hyuk, Kang Chol-hwan ― I feel like an invisible man to the North Korean regime.

I recently visited one of the radio stations broadcasting via shortwave radio into North Korea. The president was with three bodyguards who protect him around the clock. I heard from one of his staffers that shortly before my visit, he had received a bloody t-shirt mailed from China, presumably from North Korean agents, with the message, "We will kill you and your family." He often receives faxes warning that the building will be blown up. If I told him that the North Korean government might target me, he might die ― from laughter.

Yes, I do realize there are real threats. Hwang Jang-yop, the architect of the Juche philosophy, was allegedly targeted for assassination after he defected to South Korea in 1997. He died in 2010 ― at the tender age of 87. There is the case of North Korean refugee Ri Han-yong (the nephew of Kim Jong-il's mistress Song Hye-rim) who was shot outside of his home in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, in 1997. He had chronic debt problems, so it wasn't clear if he was an assassin's target (some suspected he was killed in retaliation for Hwang's defection) or had a brutal debt-collector.

They both had inside information that could embarrass or threaten the regime. My work mainly connecting volunteers with North Korean refugees and writing occasional articles wouldn't have me high on the list of targets.

After scoffing at this for two years, the threat came close to home, on May 1. Yeonmi Park, my colleague at Freedom Factory and co-host with me of "North Korea Today" on OTV, received a call from a South Korean police detective warning her that the North Korean regime had put her on a special target list. She was alarmed, yes, but I sensed that she was angrier at the reminder that she isn't really free, even though she escaped from North Korea seven years ago.

Joo Yang, another prominent North Korean refugee, recently featured me in a shortwave radio broadcast to North Korea. I was honored. But should I be alarmed? The North Korean regime has been threatening to blow up her station for years.

I've had friends and others who enjoy spy thrillers and conspiracy theories try to convince me that I am on North Korea's target list. Earlier this year, when I was added to an enemies list by Michael Malice in his book "Dear Reader," the warnings from friends and colleagues increased. My response: Why wouldn't the regime target Malice, the author of the book, instead of me? I was one of many names on the list ― on page 417 ― but his name is on the cover.

It is possible that the North Korean regime would look at Malice's list, and ask, "Who is this Casey Lartigue guy? Does anybody know? Perhaps we should send some agents because he must be really clever to have evaded our attention for this long." Oops. Can I get the Webmaster to delete this column and the newspaper delivery man not to deliver this edition of the newspaper?

The writer is the Director for Iinternational Relations at Freedom Factory Co. in Seoul and the Asia Outreach Fellow with the Atlas Network in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at cjl@post.harvard.edu.

 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1Korea eyes launch of 4th Nuri space rocket in 2025 Korea eyes launch of 4th Nuri space rocket in 2025
2Memorial Day 2023 Memorial Day 2023
3Japanese destroyer flies controversial flag as it arrives in Korea for joint drillJapanese destroyer flies controversial flag as it arrives in Korea for joint drill
4[ANALYSIS] China's ban on Micron tests Washington-Seoul alliance ANALYSISChina's ban on Micron tests Washington-Seoul alliance
5Seoul on alert over Pyongyang's imminent spy satellite launch Seoul on alert over Pyongyang's imminent spy satellite launch
6Korea's household debt-to-GDP ratio highest among 34 major economiesKorea's household debt-to-GDP ratio highest among 34 major economies
7Top 20% of income earners fuel increase in Q1 consumption as pandemic ends Top 20% of income earners fuel increase in Q1 consumption as pandemic ends
8Korea's diplomacy put to test amid signs of thaw in US-China relations Korea's diplomacy put to test amid signs of thaw in US-China relations
9Vietnam emerges as major market for Korean chipmakers Vietnam emerges as major market for Korean chipmakers
10Local governments appeal to young generations through YouTube Local governments appeal to young generations through YouTube
Top 5 Entertainment News
1SHINee celebrates 15th anniversary of debut: 'It feels surreal' SHINee celebrates 15th anniversary of debut: 'It feels surreal'
2ENHYPEN reaches new career high with latest album 'Dark Blood' ENHYPEN reaches new career high with latest album 'Dark Blood'
3'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' raises bar with epic battle scenes 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' raises bar with epic battle scenes
4[INTERVIEW] Long-awaited extension of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale to be pushed forward INTERVIEWLong-awaited extension of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale to be pushed forward
5Chun Woo-hee becomes chameleon con artist in 'Delightfully Deceitful' Chun Woo-hee becomes chameleon con artist in 'Delightfully Deceitful'
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group