North Korea's long, messy history of killing opponents abroad



Evergreen North Korea’s long, messy history of killing opponents abroad The DPRK's leaders have frequently targeted dissenters overseas Benjamin R. Young February 16, 2017 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Kim Jong Nam’s Facebook Kim Jong Nam’s death has shocked reporters, analysts, and scholars around the world. While there has been no confirmation that North Korea is indeed behind this assassination, all signs point to Pyongyang. If it was Kim Jong Un who ordered the assassination, he is taking after his father, Kim Jong Il, who targeted critics of the regime that once had close personal ties to the leadership, and also his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, who was known to order international assassinations during the Cold War era. From the late 1960s to the late 1980s, North Korea gained an international reputation for © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update & Podcast Updates Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

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North Korea’s long, messy history of killing opponents abroad

The DPRK's leaders have frequently targeted dissenters overseas

Benjamin R. Young February 16, 2017

North Korea’s long, messy history of killing opponents abroad

Kim Jong Nam’s Facebook

Kim Jong Nam’s death has shocked reporters, analysts, and scholars around the world. While there has been no confirmation that North Korea is indeed behind this assassination, all signs point to Pyongyang.

If it was Kim Jong Un who ordered the assassination, he is taking after his father, Kim Jong Il, who targeted critics of the regime that once had close personal ties to the leadership, and also his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, who was known to order international assassinations during the Cold War era.

From the late 1960s to the late 1980s, North Korea gained an international reputation for

About the Author

Benjamin R. Young

Benjamin R. Young, Ph.D. has taught at Virginia Commonwealth University, Dakota State University and the U.S. Naval War College. He was a 2024-25 Stanton Foundation Nuclear Security Fellow at the RAND Corporation. He is now an Assistant Professor of Intelligence Studies at Fayetteville State University. He is the author of the book "Guns, Guerillas, and the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World" (Stanford University Press, 2021).

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