A South Korean resort island’s sudden announcement that it supplied humanitarian aid to North Korea has brought a familiar name back into the limelight: Ri Ho Nam, a controversial DPRK middleman who has facilitated inter-Korean exchanges for over three decades.

The government of Jeju Island revealed on Monday that it had sent around $100,000 worth of medical equipment, fruit trees and other goods to North Korea, after South Korean media reported that the province’s governor met with Ri to arrange the deal.

Little is known for sure about the shadowy Ri, who blurs the lines between businessman and spy, but