Activist and former U.S. Marine
Involved in North Korean Embassy attack
Claims request from North Korean diplomat
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The FBI has reportedly warned Korean-American Christopher Ahn, a former U.S. Marine, that he could be targeted for assassination by North Korea. This revelation has sparked significant discussion.
Ahn previously assisted in the escape of a North Korean diplomat by attacking the North Korean embassy in Spain and is a member of Free Joseon, an organization that opposes North Korea.
In an interview with CBS on the 12th, Ahn shared that the FBI had directly informed him of the threats to his life. He also expressed concerns that if extradited to Spain, North Korean authorities would likely attempt to assassinate him.
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In February 2019, Ahn and nine other members of Free Joseon invaded the North Korean embassy in Madrid, Spain. They are known to have assaulted and bound embassy staff and stolen computer hard drives and various memory devices.
Ahn and his group were arrested in the U.S. two months after the incident. In 2022, a court decision from a U.S. federal court in Los Angeles was to extradite them to Spain. They have protested this decision, petitioned for protection from U.S. security agencies, and continue to fight in court. Although legal disputes delayed the extradition process, Ahn is currently out on bail and wearing an ankle monitor due to assault charges.
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While Ahn acknowledged that Spanish authorities understood their extradition, he protested against the decision, stating, “North Korea is not a normal state system.” From Spain’s perspective, they would want to handle the embassy invasion incident that occurred in their country. However, as North Korea is known to carry out overseas assassinations using poison, Ahn and his group are concerned.
During the interview, Ahn also mentioned the circumstances and purpose of the attack on the North Korean embassy in Spain. He claimed that a North Korean embassy official contacted him, wanting to defect, but was hesitant due to potential harm to his family in North Korea. Typically, North Korea allows the exploitation of defectors’ families, leading to forced labor or discrimination, which the embassy official was likely worried about.
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However, Ahn stated that the operation was compromised when the wife of an embassy official jumped from a balcony and alerted the police. Upon the arrival of the police, the faces of the embassy officials turned deathly pale, signaling North Korea’s awareness of the incident.
Previously, Ahn was involved in evacuating the family of Kim Jong Nam, who was assassinated by North Korean agents in 2017. He also helped Jo Song Gil, who worked at the embassy in Italy, to take to the hills. Given this background, there is weight to the claim that his allegations could be true. At the time, North Korea publicly expressed its confusion when Ahn, a Korean-American, helped Kim Jong Nam’s family.
Meanwhile, after the attack on its embassy in Spain, North Korea has shown significant changes, including withdrawing its embassies overseas.
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