Yi Han-yeong | |
|---|---|
| Born | Yi Il-nam (1960-04-02)2 April 1960 Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Died | 25 February 1997(1997-02-25) (aged 36) Seongnam, South Korea |
| Known for | Defection to South Korea |
| Parent(s) | Seong Hye-rang (mother) Lee Tae-soon (father) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이한영 |
| Hanja | 李韓永 [1] |
| RR | I Hanyeong |
| MR | I Hanyŏng |
| Former name | |
| Hangul | 리일남 |
| Hanja | 李一男 [2] |
| RR | Ri Ilnam |
| MR | Ri Illam |
Yi Han-yeong (Korean: 이한영; 2 April 1960 – 25 February 1997), birth nameRi Il-nam (리일남), was aNorth Korean defector who was the nephew of the country's leader,Kim Jong Il.[3] After his defection in 1982, he went into hiding for a number of years, before going public in support ofSeong Hye-rim, his aunt and Kim's mistress or wife, and wrote a book about his experiences in exile, after which he was murdered by unknown assailants.
Yi's mother,Seong Hye-rang, raisedKim Jong Il's and her younger sister Hye-rim's sonKim Jong-nam alongside Yi and Yi's sisterNam-ok at a secluded villa outside ofPyongyang in order to keep Jong-nam's parentage a secret fromKim Il Sung.[4]Song Hye-rim is described as the former wife of Kim Jong Il, though it is unclear whether they were actually married.
Yi went abroad toMoscow for a university education, and then defected to South Korea in 1982 while studying at a language school inSwitzerland.[5]
His defection in 1982 had been kept secret due to his connections. He underwent plastic surgery and changed his name to conceal his identity. His identity was revealed when he had told newspapers he was financially supporting his aunt's defection who was in Moscow.[6]
His life in the South was troubled. He first studied drama atHanyang University, and married in 1988; however, in March 1993, a construction company he started went bankrupt, and he was jailed for 10 months on charges of embezzlement.[5] In 1996, due to his ongoing financial difficulties, Yi made his identity as Kim Jong Il's nephew known publicly, selling the story of his aunt Song Hye-rim's exile in Moscow to South Korean newspapers, and then publishing a book about his experiences entitledTaedong River Royal Family.[3][5]
Yi was shot on 15 February 1997 near his home inBundang,Seongnam by two assailants who were never caught; they were suspected of being members of theKorean People's Army's Special Forces based on analysis of the bullets taken from Yi's body, which were fired from aBelgian-madeBrowning pistol. He was taken to hospital and kept on life-support, but succumbed to his wounds ten days later (25 February).[7][5]
South Korean prime ministerLee Soo-sung initially stated that the attack was an act of retaliation for the defection ofHwang Jang-yop, who at the time was living in the South Korean embassy inBeijing.[5] The publication of Yi's tell-all book and the defection of his mother in Switzerland the previous year may have served as additional factors in making him a target of the regime in the North.[3][4] Others speculated at the time that his murder was not politically motivated, but was instead related to his gambling debts or a dispute with a lover.[8]
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