Ask a North Korean: introducing the "Smuggler Kingpin" of Hyesan



Ask A North Korean Ask a North Korean: introducing the “Smuggler Kingpin” of Hyesan The story of our second new contributor, from starving taekwondo teacher to TV smuggler Tae-il Shim August 2, 2019 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Nk News/Adam Westerman Welcome to our second installment of Ask a North Korean, where NK News readers can send in their questions and have them answered by our North Korean writers. Today we’re introducing the second of our two new North Korean writers: Shim Tae-il (writing under a pseudonym). You can read our other North Korean writer’s first piece here. Like In-hua, Tae-il lived through the famine in the 1990s – known as the “Arduous March” – and so can compare what North Korea was like before, during, and after this watershed period. NOTE: All translations of North Korean factory names in © 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 Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

Ask A North Korean

Ask a North Korean: introducing the “Smuggler Kingpin” of Hyesan

The story of our second new contributor, from starving taekwondo teacher to TV smuggler

Tae-il Shim August 2, 2019

Ask a North Korean: introducing the “Smuggler Kingpin” of Hyesan

Nk News/Adam Westerman

Welcome to our second installment of Ask a North Korean, where NK News readers can send in their questions and have them answered by our North Korean writers.

Today we’re introducing the second of our two new North Korean writers: Shim Tae-il (writing under a pseudonym). You can read our other North Korean writer’s first piece here.

Like In-hua, Tae-il lived through the famine in the 1990s – known as the “Arduous March” – and so can compare what North Korea was like before, during, and after this watershed period.

NOTE: All translations of North Korean factory names in