Kang Chol-Hwan
| Kang Chol-hwan | |
|---|---|
.JPG)
Kang in 2014
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|
| Born |
1968 (age 48–49) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 강철환 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Gang Cheol-hwan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kang Ch'ŏl-hwan |
1968 (age 48–49)
Pyongyang, North Korea
Kang Chol-hwan (born 1968) is a North Korean defector from North Korea. As a child, he was imprisoned in the Yodok concentration camp for 10 years. After his release he fled the country, first to China and eventually to South Korea. He is the author, with Pierre Rigoulot, of The Aquariums of Pyongyang and worked as a staff writer specialized in North Korean affairs for the The Chosun Ilbo. He is the founder and president of the North Korea Strategy Center.
According to his autobiography, Kang was born in Pyongyang, North Korea, and spent his childhood there. His family lived in relative luxury from his grandfather's position and the fortune that he had given to the country upon the family's return from Japan. Though they had never renounced their North Korean citizenship and Kang's grandmother had been a staunch party member in both countries, Kang has stated that the family remained under a cloud of suspicion for having lived in Japan.
In 1977, his grandfather was accused of treason and was sent to the Senghori concentration camp. According to current KCNA, the elder Kang was an agent of the Japanese National Police. As the family of a traitor, Kang, 9, and his family were sent to the Yodok concentration camp. His sister, Mi-ho, was just 7.
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