(PART THREE OF A THREE-PART SERIES)
ENABLING THE PRO-NORTH KOREAN MOVEMENT
A separate category exists, not of pro-North Korean activists per se, but of those who on some issues and to varying degrees are allied with and supportive of pro-North groups and activists. These “enablers” of the pro-North movement are, in most cases, not personally supportive of the North Korean regime, and in a few cases, have indeed criticized it. Nevertheless, these “enablers” provide valuable assistance to the pro-North movement. By attending and speaking at events of pro-North groups, meeting with and advising top pro-North leaders, actively assisting pro-North media outreach and lobbying efforts, and sometimes by defending and vouching for pro-North groups and activists, these “enablers” provide the movement with a much coveted “respectability” and “cover,” thus facilitating their penetration of “mainstream” society. Some of these influential enablers are quite well-known figures, including former administration officials, former and sitting members of Congress, current and former state and municipal politicians and other officials, a former Senate Foreign Relations Committee aide and international human rights group director who heads a foundation focusing on Asia-related issues, a former state governor, and even a former Secretary of Defense and a former President of the U.S. Perhaps a few of these “enablers” who collaborate in various ways with pro-North groups and activists, from speaking at their conferences to helping them get meetings with administration officials and legislators, may genuinely be ignorant or deceiving themselves as to the damage they are doing by associating with and actively assisting groups and activists whose most basic values they supposedly do not share, while others, it is deeply depressing to note, have been made aware of the truly extremist nature of the groups and activists with which they are involved, but they reportedly simply do not care. A psychological phenomenon may be involved, since most people who have been duped, particularly famous people, would surely find it humiliating to admit they had been deceived, so they continue to work with the pro-North movement rather than sever ties to it. In any case, the harm being done by such “enablers” is real, but they have largely avoided criticism for their behavior, since many find it inconceivable that such figures could be “enablers” of extremists.
WHO THESE EXTREMISTS ARE AND WHAT THEY BELIEVE
The overwhelming majority of pro-North activists here are U.S.-born or naturalized citizens or at least permanent residents. Like the rest of us, they enjoy all of the rights of free expression and association, which many of them, ironically, deny or excuse the North Korean dictatorship’s failure to observe for its oppressed subjects. In the U.S. and ROK, a few have been convicted of serving as North Korean agents, served prison terms, and continued their work in the U.S. pro-North movement, even being honored and viewed as heroes by many of their fellow activists. Some of the most fanatical pro-North activists and groups have expressed heartfelt loyalty to the North Korean regime, their deep hatred for the U.S. as a nation, for our liberties, our system of government, and even their fellow Americans, and are devoted to the Kim dynasty cult in an almost religious sense. Several of the leading pro-North groups, both the openly pro-North ones and fronts, as well as some of their top leaders and supporters, have expressed on their websites and social media extremely hateful racist and anti-Semitic views and conspiracy theories almost identical to those of neo-Nazi groups and their websites. Regular columnists on pro-North websites have called for and praised terrorist attacks and violence against their fellow Americans, including U.S. leaders and others, expressing a shocking hatred for our country, its people, and our cherished institutions. One leader of a successful pro-North front group, apparently without objection from its members, as well as a pro-North writer, have shamelessly insulted a former U.S. Ambassador to the ROK based on his ethnic background and the fact that his mother was Japanese. This situation has come to the attention of some U.S. civil rights groups, media outlets, and organizations promoting racial and religious tolerance, such as the world-famous and respected Simon Wiesenthal Center, which has specifically condemned the rabid anti-Semitism so often and openly espoused by U.S. pro-North groups and activists via their Korean-language sites, such as KANCC and Minjok Tongshin. However, many pro-North activists deny or defend this promotion of virulent hatred from within their ranks, and hypocritically make the completely absurd claim, promoted by Women Cross DMZ and the Korea Policy Center, that any criticism of North Korea’s crimes against humanity is tantamount to “racism” against all Koreans. As insane as it may sound, pro-North websites in the U.S. have claimed that reading the works of Kim, Il-sung can cure illnesses, that Jews were responsible for the Korean War, that Christianity was one of the most evil forces in human history, and that North Korea should attack the U.S., seize Americans, and use them for medical experiments.
NORTH KOREAN INTELLIGENCE AGENTS: THE U.N. CONNECTION
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, in addition to these political and moral issues involving disloyalty and hate, there are some severe and possibly actionable legal and national security issues that arise from the activities of U.S. pro-North groups and activists. Many pro-North groups and activists maintain ties to the North Korean regime and North Korean intelligence agents based at the North’s U.N. Mission in New York City. Some pro-North activists, in the course of their “friendship and solidarity” visits to the North, have met there with North Korean intelligence agents, and here in the U.S. some pro-North activists are in ongoing contact and hold face-to-face meetings with North Korean intelligence agents in and around New York City. The North has for years stationed intelligence agents at its U.N. Mission whose primary duties, as reported by mainstream Korean and Korean American journalists, are not connected to any U.N.-related matters, but are officials of the North Korean regime’s so-called United Front Department, who actually serve as liaison officers and points of contact for U.S. pro-North groups and activists. These agents are on a “first-name basis” with top pro-North figures here, from both openly pro-North groups and fronts. Although these agents posted to the U.N. are only permitted to travel within a limited radius of their Mission, they maintain phone and email contact with some of the leading pro-North activists across the U.S., providing not only “moral support” and greetings, but also “advice” and possibly more direct instructions. They also have face-to-face meetings with leading pro-North figures, at their Mission, at nearby locations, and even at private homes of activists located not too far from New York City. These interactions with North Korean agents could potentially violate laws, such as the Foreign Agents Registration Act, since the pro-North activists involved have not registered as foreign agents. Some of the groups whose members have been involved with these North Korean intelligence agents include Women Cross DMZ, the 6.15 Implementation Committee, and Nodutdol.
NORTH KOREAN “INFLUENCE OPERATIONS” TARGETING CONGRESS
These U.N.-based North Korean intelligence agents have urged the holding of, assisted the planning of, and in some cases, even participated in events held by U.S. pro-North groups and activists. One significant “peace” march across the demilitarized zone, which divides the North from the ROK, held by the pro-North front group Women Cross DMZ, was organized in conjunction with a North Korean intelligence agent in the U.S. Pro-North activists deny or defend this, dishonestly claiming they are merely in contact with “ordinary diplomats” regarding “routine matters” such as visas. Some pro-North activists involved with these agents have concurrently, over the past few years, been meeting with U.S. officials and members of Congress to lobby against policies and legislation opposed by the North, and in support of measures favored by the North. This should be a matter of serious concern, since the officials and legislators who meet with these pro-North activists may not realize that they are from extremist groups, including ones which espouse racial and religious hatred, and most significantly, that they are individuals who have relationships with North Korean intelligence agents. Therefore, one can see that the pro-North movement is not merely some harmless collection of extremist fringe elements, anti-Americans, racists, and apologists for a brutal dictatorship who wield no influence, but that they include what may be termed “agents of influence” for the North, who are wittingly or unwittingly participating in what are effectively “influence operations” on behalf of the North. This aspect of the U.S. pro-North movement is one that surely goes far beyond Americans merely exercising their Constitutional rights. It raises issues that are disturbing and must be addressed.
Lawrence Peck holds a B.A. degree in Political Science from U.C.L.A. and a J.D. degree from Loyola Law School. He serves as an advisor to One Korea Network, a representative of Korea CPAC, and an advisor to the North Korea Freedom Coalition. He lived and worked in South Korea for almost six years as a consultant to major Korean business groups. He is proud of the fact that pro-North groups and activists have stated that his work is a threat to their movement.
