Kim Hak-chol

Kim Hak-chol
Born
North Korea
OccupationDiplomat
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl
김학철
Hancha
Revised RomanizationGim Hakcheol
McCune–ReischauerKim Hakch'ŏl

Kim Hak-chol (Korean: 김학철) is a North Korean diplomat. A member of the 12th Supreme People's Assembly, he served as ambassador of his country to Peru from 2013 until his designation as persona non grata on September 11, 2017, in response to a series of nuclear tests earlier that month.

Biography

Believed to have a military background,[2] he worked in North Korea's embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1968. He was elected as a delegate to the 12th Supreme People's Assembly in 2009.[2]

In October 2013,[2] he was named as ambassador to Peru, presenting his credentials to then president Ollanta Humala on November 8 of the same year.[3] In 2015, he became accredited to Brazil, presenting his credentials on November 3.[4] In September 2017, he was declared a persona non grata by the Peruvian government and given a five-day period to leave the country.[5][6] Prior to leaving the embassy, he held a press conference where he protested the measure.[7][8] Subsequently, the first and third secretaries of the embassy—Pak Myong Chol and Ji Hyok, respectively—were also given the same treatment on December 22,[9] after which they were accused of plotting to attack the families of the diplomatic staff of the U.S. Embassy in Lima, even suggesting their assassination.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ "駐ペルー北朝鮮大使「火に油」　国外退去命令に反発". Yonhap News Agency. 2017-09-13.
  2. ^ a b c "북한, 페루 대사에 '군 출신' 김학철 임명". YTN. 2013-10-23.
  3. ^ "Mandatario recibió cartas credenciales de embajadores de Corea y Ecuador". Andina. 2013-11-08.
  4. ^ "Dilma deve receber credencial do embaixador da Indonésia recusada em fevereiro". UOL. 2015-11-03.
  5. ^ "Perú expulsa al embajador de Corea del Norte". Europa Press. 2017-09-11.
  6. ^ Perú declara persona no grata al embajador de Corea del Norte y le pide que abandone el país [Peru declares the North Korean ambassador persona non grata and asks him to leave the country] (in Spanish). 24 Horas. 2017-09-12.
  7. ^ El embajador de Corea del Norte en Perú protestó por su expulsión [The North Korean ambassador to Peru protested his expulsion] (in Spanish). Milenio. 2017-09-13.
  8. ^ Mejía Huaraca, Mario (2017-09-13). "Embajador de Corea del Norte protesta por la decisión del Perú de expulsarlo". El Comercio.
  9. ^ "Gobierno expulsa diplomáticos de la República Popular Democrática de Corea". Gob.pe. 2017-12-22.
  10. ^ "Diplomáticos de Corea del Norte planificaron asesinar a familiares de funcionarios estadounidenses en Perú". Infobae. 2018-01-15.
  11. ^ "Diplomáticos norcoreanos habrían planeado atacar a familias de funcionarios de EE.UU". El Comercio. 2018-01-15.