Bill Richardson, governor who helped free Americans from North Korea, dies at 75

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Bill Richardson, governor who helped free Americans from North Korea, dies at 75

‘Undersecretary for thugs’ traveled to DPRK and other authoritarian countries to advocate for detained citizens

Chad O'Carroll | James Fretwell September 4, 2023

Bill Richardson, governor who helped free Americans from North Korea, dies at 75

Bill Richardson | Image: Twitter (Feb. 20, 2020)

Bill Richardson, the former U.S. governor, ambassador to the U.N. and self-described “undersecretary for thugs” who helped secure the release of several Americans from North Korea, died last week at the age of 75.

Richardson died in his sleep at his home in Massachusetts, a statement from the Richardson Center for Global Engagement announced.

About the Authors

Chad O'Carroll

Chad O'Carroll is the founder of NK News/NK Pro and related holding company Korea Risk Group. In addition to being the group's CEO, O'Carroll is a frequent writer and commentator about the Koreas, having written about the two nations since 2010. He has visited the DPRK multiple times, worked and lived in Washington, D.C. with a focus on peninsula issues, and lived in the ROK since 2016.

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