A Chinese-born polyglot. A diplomat in multiple countries. An expert on the Silk Road who posed as a Filipino. And a notorious North Korean spy.

The improbable life of Jeong Su-il, who died on Monday at the age of 90, sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie, marked by espionage, imprisonment and controversy but also academic achievement. 

His career and interests took him to dozens of countries, from studying in Egypt and sharing intel in the DPRK to writing books in a South Korean prison cell.

But through it all, he consistently emphasized his identity as a Korean and