1 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: In a twelve year old Asian boy with a bowl haircut, 2 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: his body hugged by a jumpsuit, walked into a boarding 3 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: school and burned Switzerland. He was, by all appearances, just 4 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 1: another spoiled, rich kid. He loved action movies and airplanes. 5 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: He was obsessed with basketball, especially the Chicago Bulls. Each 6 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: new academic year, he was the envy of the class, 7 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: strutting around the schoolyard and a pair of freshly unboxed 8 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: air Jordan's. According to classmates, the boy answered to the 9 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: name Pagun. But what they didn't know is that Swiss 10 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: authorities had a different name on file. According to the 11 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: kids Brazilian passport, his real name was Joseph Plague. But 12 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: here's the secret. Neither name was real. Joseph Poague and Pagun, 13 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 1: we're just aliases. The twelve year old's real name was 14 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: Kim Chang Un, and for the next four years, the 15 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: Michael Jordan's loving son of a tyrant would use these 16 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: phony personas to conceal his identity and gallivant around Europe undetected, 17 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: just like his older brother. But what's most fascinating about 18 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: Kim Dongan's fake Brazilian passport isn't the alias or the 19 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: country of origin. What's most intriguing is that the document 20 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: lists his father as a man called Ricardo Poague, who 21 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: was he Well, Ricardo Plague was a real person, at 22 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: least the fake name of a real person, but we 23 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: know that he was a top level North Korean official, 24 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: one who traveled to Europe regularly, often staying in luxury hotels. 25 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: According to Anna Fifield's book, Ricardo was quote charged with 26 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:09,119 Speaker 1: buying buildings for the North Korean ruling class. And if 27 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: that's any indication, we have a good idea about the 28 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,239 Speaker 1: man's real identity. We don't know for sure her Ricardo 29 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: Plague was um, but there has been suggested that Jang 30 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: Song Tech was that person. Chang's Hung Tech, the uncle 31 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:31,239 Speaker 1: of both Kim jongan and Kim Chong nam, widely considered 32 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 1: one of the most influential people in the regime. Juan 33 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: Song Tech's role in the regime was to go out 34 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: into the world. He was very mercurial, gregarious character h 35 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: and he was in charge of a lot of economic 36 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: liaison with the outside world, mostly with China, but he 37 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: also traveled quite a lot in Europe. In the nineties, 38 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,679 Speaker 1: Chang Song tech was one of the most powerful men 39 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: in North Korea. Decades earlier, he had married Kim Jong 40 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 1: il sister and became a close confidante to the dear leader. 41 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,799 Speaker 1: He was always on the move, traveling the world undercover, 42 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: securing deals to help fund the regime. He was so 43 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 1: powerful that, as you may remember, some pundits called him 44 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: quote the Kim jong Il who goes abroad. It's hard 45 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: to overstate how close Kim Jong Il and Chang Song 46 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: pech were. He acted as a father figure to the 47 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: Supreme Leader's children, change even personally held auditions for the 48 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: women in Kim Jong Il's harem. And during the two 49 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: thousand's some North Korea watchers speculated that Chang could be 50 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: chosen to lead the nation. Of course, that honor would 51 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: go to Tongues or should we say Ricardo Poague's fake 52 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: Brazilian son. But that decision didn't nooter Uncle Chan's power, 53 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: because when Kim Jong n took over in twenty eleven, 54 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: it was Chang who helped shepherd his nephew through North 55 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: Korea's bureaucracy. It was Chang who helped him build relationships 56 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: with the Polite Bureau. It was Chang who built apartments 57 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: and resorts to glorify the new ruler, and it was 58 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 1: Chang who served as Kim Jongan's closest advisor. Chang Song 59 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: tech essentially functioned as Kim Jongan's chief of staff. The 60 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: two were like father and son, like Ricardo and Joseph Plague. 61 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: But Uncle Tong harbored a secret, one that linked him 62 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: to King Chong Nam, and one that would reportedly soon 63 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: have him staring down the barrel of an anti aircraft gun. 64 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: I'm eating lee and in this episode, dirty money, risky reform, 65 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: and failed coups inside the money making schemes that may 66 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: have had several members of the Kim dynasty to gamble 67 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: with their lives. There are also plenty of suggestions that 68 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: he was still in cohots with the regime. North Korean 69 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: diplomat stationed abroad have really behaved like a criminal mob 70 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: and you could see Jong Song text saying, why am 71 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 1: I going to turn over my life's work to my 72 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: snot nose twentysomething nephew, This is big brother. When the 73 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 1: Japanese journalist Yoji Komi first reported on Kim Jong Nam's 74 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: criticisms of the regime. The DPRK responded with fury, sending 75 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 1: the prince into a brief hiding or, as Kim Jong 76 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: Nam told Comey, I just have to be careful. But 77 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: things eventually cooled over. Kim Jong Il was running the country. 78 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: He still loved his son, so the risks of needling 79 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: the regime were relatively low. But things were different when 80 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: Comey published his book. Kim Jong Il was dead and 81 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: Kim Jong Un was now in charge, and nobody knew 82 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 1: how he'd react to his brother's inflammatory comments. It didn't 83 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 1: help that Kim Jong nam had suggested that North Korea 84 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: should liberalize its economy and claim that the best hope 85 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: for reform was not his little brother but Uncle Tong. 86 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 1: Michael Madden explains, probably Jong probably had different ideas as 87 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: to what North Korea's economy should be doing. In a 88 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 1: North Korean context, he was most likely a reformer. In fact, 89 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 1: Uncle Chang had a proven track record of nudging the 90 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: country in new directions. Evidence of are some evidence that 91 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: there were certain relaxations of social policies in North Korea 92 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: under Joan Song text leadership of the Internal Security Apparatus, 93 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: A toleration of religious activities, both Christianity and Shamanism. And 94 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: there was a certain degree of clemency and pardon given 95 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,559 Speaker 1: to people who fled illegally into China to seek work 96 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: or to seek economic relief, for to seek food. Uncle 97 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: Chang's influence was very real. A little more than a 98 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: decade earlier, change may have nudged Kim Jong il toward reform. 99 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: The Supreme Leader had adopted a new constitution, one that 100 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: embraced quote prime costs, prices and profits. Profits. Now, that 101 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: wasn't very communist. Neither was a new constitutional article calling 102 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: for quote enterprises with corporations or individuals of foreign countries. 103 00:07:55,680 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: The foreign country being Uncle Tong's friend China. Jong was 104 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: very much aligned with China, whereby Chinese investment money would 105 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: come into North Korean economic sites. Years later, can even 106 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: pushed to create multiple economic zones along the border, miniature 107 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: capitalist fifdoms that functioned as incubators for innovation. Kim Jongan 108 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: actually embraced these ideas. The country created more than a 109 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: dozen of them. On that here's Jenny Town of the 110 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: Simpsons Center. Kim Jongan has really tried to put himself 111 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: out as trying to usher in an era of economic 112 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: prosperity and not just survival. There was a real emphasis 113 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: on these special economic zones. North Korea was willing to 114 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: do a lot of interesting things um and created you know, 115 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,719 Speaker 1: the legal space for these zones to develop. Kim jong 116 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: Un also allowed the country's private black markets to blossom. 117 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: Since then, this black market economy has grown into a 118 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: legitimate proct this with many towns hosting government approved marketplaces. 119 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: In terms of the actual market activity in the economy itself, um, 120 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: there's been rising economic activity and it's under the kimjong 121 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: on era. Today there are private grocers, private restaurants, private 122 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: travel companies, and even private taxis all competing for customers. 123 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 1: By at least of North Korea's population was running or 124 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 1: working for some sort of private enterprise. And experts agree 125 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: the standard of living has increased. There has been a 126 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 1: real rise in accumulated wealth per person. Then there's been 127 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: some you know, medium size to larger size businesses that 128 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: have flourished in the past few years. What you've also 129 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: seen is a real loosening of control over like the 130 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: state owned enterprises. This of course is not the Chinese 131 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: style reform. Uncle Chang and Kim jong Nam advocated for. 132 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: But it's something It's almost as if the two men 133 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: were given the freedom to whisper into Kim jong UN's ear. 134 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:16,479 Speaker 1: Perhaps Yoji Komi's book full of Kim jong Nam's proddings 135 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:21,199 Speaker 1: and the aged wisdom of Uncle Chang actually made an 136 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 1: impression on the young dictator. That's one interpretation. The other 137 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 1: simply times are tough in North Korea, but by allowing 138 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: these markets to exist, Kim jong Un has marginally boosted 139 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: the standard of living and boosted his own popularity. The 140 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:47,199 Speaker 1: decision was ultimately self serving. Besides, there's an economic benefit 141 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: to letting private enterprises operate under the surface. The state 142 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: can devote fewer funds to social institutions and spend more 143 00:10:55,640 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: on its real priorities like nuclear weapons. And since the 144 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: rise of the private economy, the regime has been pouring 145 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:08,079 Speaker 1: more resources into money making schemes and lessen to its people. 146 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: And that's where the fates of Kim Jong Nam and 147 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:17,439 Speaker 1: Uncle Tang Song tech become tangled and messy. Because Kim 148 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: jong Nam's death it might have nothing to do with 149 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: the successorship, It might have nothing to do with dueling 150 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: families or deceitful stepmothers. Their deaths might have everything to 151 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: do with money. There are lots of theories as to 152 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: why Kim jong nam was assassinated. His Peck two blood 153 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 1: was a threat to Kim Jong NaN's power. He had 154 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: argued for warm and opening up. He publicly criticized and 155 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: embarrassed the regime by speaking to journalists. But there's another theory, 156 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: and to understand it you have to know a little 157 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: about how North Korea makes money. The country has a 158 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: diverse portfolio. Each year, it sends tens of thousands of 159 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: migrant laborers, construction workers, loggers, farmers two countries like Kuwait, Botswana, 160 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: and even Poland. These indentured servants send the majority of 161 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: their paychecks back to the regime. The country also boasts 162 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: a small manufacturing sector. In the seventies and eighties, North 163 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 1: Korea was one of the biggest makers and exporters of 164 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: pachinko gambling machines in Asia. They sold many of these 165 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: popular systems to the yakuza, But selling gambling games to 166 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: an organized crime syndicate is relatively above board compared to 167 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: their other dirty money dealings. Deep inside the concrete bunkers 168 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: of Kung young. A secret government bureau called Room thirty 169 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 1: nine manages hundreds of illicit money making schemes, from human 170 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: trafficking to money laundering to rhinoceros horns smuggling. I would 171 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: say the North Korean leaders are very good at weaponizing 172 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 1: their own weirdness. That again is Dr Sun Un Lee 173 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 1: of Tufts University. They do these strange things, the state 174 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: sponsoring illegal activities, not only weapons proliferation, but the production 175 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: of fake famous brand cigarettes like Marlborough and other brands. 176 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: The North Korean regime is a king among counterfeiters, cigarettes, handbags, sneakers, watches, 177 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 1: you name it, they make it. And in the late 178 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: nineties and early two thousands they were the world's leader 179 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: at pumping out convincingly real hundred dollar bills called super 180 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: dollars and matt help them pedal drugs, lots of them. 181 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: They sell drugs. This is the state, not just criminal 182 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:13,200 Speaker 1: gangs inside North Korea, but the state sponsoring all these 183 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,959 Speaker 1: illicit activities. North Korea ships heroin to places like Australia 184 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: and smuggles counterfeit prescription drugs to Bulgaria. It supplies of 185 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: Japan's math amphetamine with some high quality crystal meth landing 186 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: in the US. One of North Korea's most ingenious money 187 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 1: making methods, however, revolves around a vast network of diplomats 188 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 1: and international residents, people like Kim Jong nam and Chang 189 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: Zong Pec. North Korean diplomat stationed abroad have really behaved 190 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: like an official criminal mob under the guise of diplomatic immunity, 191 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: engaging in criminal activities for profit. That's because North Korea's 192 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: diplomats and foreign elites are responsible for earning money for 193 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: the regime, often using diplomatic immunity as a cover. Here 194 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 1: again is Michael Madden, originally North Korean. Originally North Korea 195 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: did a lot of these transactions through their embassy, but 196 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: the original idea in four was to sell drugs and gold. 197 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: There's very strict controls about selling gold, and the way 198 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 1: to avoid that was through the diplomatic black bag, which 199 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 1: is to say, diplomats have immunity, and the diplomats luggage 200 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: and briefcases cannot be inspected by customs officials. So North 201 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: Korea decided to sell gold and brought opium to be 202 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: processed in and the man who had that bright idea 203 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: to use the diplomatic black bag was a young North 204 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 1: Korean official named John Song Tech. Since then, these money 205 00:15:55,560 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: making techniques have only gotten more sophisticated. The leadership like, 206 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 1: you guys go in a business. The leaders say, you guys, 207 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: go into business for yourselves. You get your own export 208 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: import network, on your own book, and as long as 209 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:11,920 Speaker 1: you just turned the money over to me, then we 210 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: won't have a problem. This is a little bit like 211 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: the mafia, where they have to kick up the money 212 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: for the regime. And that maybe what ultimately got Kim 213 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: jong Nam in trouble because as times got tight and 214 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: quotas got harder to hit, North Korean elites may have 215 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: started eyeing each other's money ventures and there was a competition. 216 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: There was a competition, almost a feeding frenzy among North 217 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: Korean elites trying to earn foreign currency because it ingratiates 218 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: you to the leader. For North Korean elites, there was 219 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: an arms race to make money. And if Kim jong 220 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: nam had one advantage above the rest, it's that he 221 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: lived in a place where money, clean and dirty, was 222 00:16:56,240 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: easy to make and even easier to hide. Macau. In 223 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 1: two thousand four, American law enforcement agencies discovered that Chinese 224 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: gangs were smuggling North Korean made counterfeits, fake currency, fake cigarettes, 225 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:26,160 Speaker 1: and even fake viagra into the port of Newark, New Jersey. 226 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: What followed is a masterclass and espionage. Two American spies, 227 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: undercover as an engaged couple, infiltrated the criminal network. They 228 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 1: began helping the group's transport containers of counterfeit goods passed 229 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:46,879 Speaker 1: you as customs, such as narcotics, and even surface to 230 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:53,439 Speaker 1: air missiles. After winning the smugglers trust, the love birds 231 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: invited them to a fake wedding on a yacht off 232 00:17:56,240 --> 00:18:00,440 Speaker 1: the coast of Atlantic City. The criminals came to America 233 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:05,199 Speaker 1: and stepped inside limousines that, according to the wedding invitation, 234 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: would take them to the ceremony. Inside the limousines tuxedo 235 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: clad FBI agents. The entire operation led to the indictment 236 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: of eighties seven suspects, But the biggest surprise came when 237 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: secret agents followed the money. It led straight to the 238 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:34,120 Speaker 1: Shining city on the Pearl River Delta, Macau. Within a year, 239 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: investigators had discovered that nearly every bank in Macau was 240 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: laundering super dollars for the North Korean regime. Big banks, 241 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: little banks. It didn't matter. Almost all were involved. Even 242 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:50,880 Speaker 1: the local branch of the Bank of China, the fifth 243 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: largest bank on the planet, was allegedly laundering counterfeit money. 244 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 1: When it came time to slap Macau's banks with penalties, 245 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: the Ues Department of Justice ultimately decided to leave the 246 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: bigger institutions like the Bank of China alone, presumably to 247 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: avoid triggering a global economic catastrophe. Instead, it targeted one small, 248 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: family owned institution called Banko Delta Asia. Sanctions reigned down 249 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:26,679 Speaker 1: on the tiny bank. Suddenly, the institution could no longer 250 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 1: deal in US currency, essentially locking it out of the 251 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 1: global economy. The bank froze all of its accounts linked 252 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: to North Korea out of fear of being next. So 253 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: did every other bank in Macau. According to congressional testimony, 254 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 1: the freeze worked, North Korea's production lines ground to a halt. 255 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: Even the famously dodgy government of Macau instituted a ream 256 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: of new money laundering laws, forcing North Korea's criminal elements 257 00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:01,919 Speaker 1: to find new ways to bank their cash. By this point, 258 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: Kim Jong Nam had been living in Macau for at 259 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 1: least five years. No evidence, however, has ever tied him 260 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 1: to the laundering scheme. I don't know whether he was 261 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 1: involved in the Banko Delta Asia situation, but I think 262 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 1: the reasons for both of these things, for Kim jong 263 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: Nam being there and for Banko Delta Asia being a 264 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,479 Speaker 1: conduit for North Korea or risks on the fact that 265 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:32,159 Speaker 1: Macau was a pretty opaque place. It's difficult, however, to 266 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: believe that the son of North Korea's ruler, once the 267 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:39,199 Speaker 1: assumed heir to the whole regime, would be unaware what 268 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: his dad was doing at his neighborhood bank. In fact, 269 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,199 Speaker 1: reports suggest that Kim jong Nam had access to a 270 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: substantial cash of counterfeit super dollars, and shortly after the 271 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 1: Bank of Delta Asia scandal, it appears that Kim jong 272 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: nam began searching for novel ways to make and hide 273 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: large sums of money, and in the process he might 274 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: have helped make North Korea one of the most dangerous 275 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: and powerful countries on the planet. In the early two thousands, 276 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 1: when Kim jong Nam was comfortably settled in Macau, North 277 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:25,880 Speaker 1: Korea began to pivot from physical counterfeiting and smuggling to cybercrime. This, 278 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: of course, is one of the great ironies of North Korea, 279 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: few citizens there have access to a computer. Those who 280 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:39,160 Speaker 1: do are heavily surveiled with screenshots taken of their activity 281 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,440 Speaker 1: every time in app is opened. Instead of the Internet, 282 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:47,719 Speaker 1: most only have access to an intranet network called Kwangmyong 283 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: meaning bright Light, which gives access to up to five 284 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: thousand state approved websites. Only the elite have access to 285 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 1: the open Internet. And yet, despite this technological repression, North 286 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: Korea is home to some of the most obscenely talented 287 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:11,640 Speaker 1: computer technicians on the planet. More than seven thousand North 288 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 1: Koreans worked in the country cyber army, and they start early. 289 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: You know, North Korean hackers are North Korean hackers are 290 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:25,119 Speaker 1: recruited at about ten years old, so you get a 291 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:29,199 Speaker 1: young person that's really good at computer systems, especially computer coding. 292 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: North Korea finds them when they're in late elementary school. 293 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: That's where they find their cyber warriors. North Korea does 294 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:40,360 Speaker 1: that with gymnasts as well, and figure skaters and piano players. 295 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: There's not a great difference in their respective systems. You 296 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: have an aptitude for a certain subject, that's basically what 297 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 1: you're going to do for the rest of your life. Indeed, 298 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 1: according to the journalists Ed Caesar of the New Yorker, 299 00:22:56,320 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 1: students from Kimilsung University and the Kim Check University the 300 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:05,199 Speaker 1: technology often quote outperform American and Chinese colleges in the 301 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:11,200 Speaker 1: international collegiate programming contests. Year after year, North Korean students 302 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: compete at the highest levels at the International Mathematical Olympiad. 303 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:20,639 Speaker 1: Here again is Jenny Town. North Korea's cyber capabilities have 304 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 1: really grown over the years um and grown to be 305 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 1: very adept and very sophisticated. The types of cyber crimes 306 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 1: that we've seen have been pretty elaborate. UM. We've even 307 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:39,639 Speaker 1: seen in their intelligence gathering side, a real growth in 308 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: the sophistication of how they try to do different like 309 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 1: phishing campaigns. So it is a real and a formidable 310 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 1: force and a real growing part of North Korea's economic strategy. 311 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 1: Under names like the Beagle Boys, the Lazarus Group, and 312 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: New Romantic, North Korea's Enemy Collapse Sabotage Bureau YEP that's 313 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: its name, have infected computers in more than a hundred 314 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: and fifty countries, where they've robbed banks, held organizations for 315 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: ransom and hacked a t MS. North Korea's computer wizards 316 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 1: have digitally laundered money in the Philippines and have crypto 317 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,880 Speaker 1: jack that has stolen more than one point seven five 318 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:30,159 Speaker 1: billion dollars in cryptocurrency. They've even breached the servers of 319 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:34,120 Speaker 1: the South Korean Army, obtaining the military plans of their 320 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: neighboring enemy. This is Kim jong Nam's legacy in North 321 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: Korea and for that matter, the world. Na If we 322 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,680 Speaker 1: go and track Kim jong Nam at the Korean Computer 323 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: Center from around they're importing computers into the country. They're 324 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 1: importing computers into North Korean schools. Those are the tools 325 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 1: they eventually was for recruiting hackers. Kim jong Nam is 326 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: essentially responsible for a lot of the computer hardware that 327 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: the cyber warriors trained on in the nineties and the 328 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:12,919 Speaker 1: early two thousand's. Kim Jong Nam planted the seeds for 329 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:17,040 Speaker 1: North Korea's vast and powerful network of hackers, and not 330 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: only that, he might have been actively supporting these activities 331 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: from his home in Macau. Shortly after the Banko Delta fiasco, 332 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: Kim jong Nam visited the Shangri La Hotel in Bangkok 333 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 1: and met with an expert in Internet security. Chong Nam 334 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: used a false name, introducing himself as Johnny Kim, and 335 00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: explained that he was running a business and he needed 336 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 1: an I T specialist who could protect his servers. Unaware 337 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: of Johnny Kim's real identity and unsure of the nature 338 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 1: of his work, the Internet expert agreed to take the job. 339 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: The same man who would anonymously discuss these details with 340 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: Anna Fifield told her that something was fishy about the 341 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 1: man called Johnny Kim. He described going around places in 342 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 1: Southeast Asia together with Kim Jong Nam and just talked 343 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:19,400 Speaker 1: about how security conscious he was. He always walked down 344 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 1: back alleys and places where he knew that there wouldn't 345 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,880 Speaker 1: be UH security cameras. He was always on the lookout 346 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: for Japanese people, in particular because Japanese journalists had been 347 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 1: so aggressive or active in trying to track him down 348 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: and talk to him. So he was someone who very 349 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 1: much had his wits about him. Even as a manager, 350 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: Kim Jong Nam was secretive. The Internet expert was paid 351 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: in one dollar bills later revealed to be counterfeit super dollars. 352 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:53,040 Speaker 1: The man was paired with two cyber specialists, both of 353 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: them apparently North Korean's. Eventually, the Internet expert learned that 354 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:02,879 Speaker 1: kim so called business was actually dozens upon dozens of 355 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: gambling websites. Online gambling is an easy way to launder money. 356 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,640 Speaker 1: It's virtual, there's high cash flow coming from across the globe, 357 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:18,120 Speaker 1: and there are significant profit margins by running not just one, 358 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 1: but dozens of gambling sites. It's believed that Kim jong 359 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:27,919 Speaker 1: Nam could spread illegal and counterfeit funds around, diluting suspicious activity, 360 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 1: and this suggests a tantalizing theory. When North Korea could 361 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:39,159 Speaker 1: no longer launder physical dollars in Macau's bank, did it 362 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,720 Speaker 1: find a work around by embracing the murky world of 363 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:47,479 Speaker 1: internet gambling? And was Kim jong Nam the mastermind behind it? 364 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,119 Speaker 1: And more to the point, if he was making money 365 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:55,240 Speaker 1: this way, was he keeping it for himself or sending 366 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:59,960 Speaker 1: it back to the regime. There are also plenty of 367 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:04,119 Speaker 1: suggestions that he was still in cohots with the regime, 368 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: whether it was sending money back, you know, raising money 369 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,400 Speaker 1: for the regime or for his uncle Down Song Tech, 370 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: who was he was very close to. Were Chang Song 371 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,359 Speaker 1: Tech and Kim Jong Nam working together to launder money 372 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: was Kim jong Nam sent to Macau not to satisfy 373 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,640 Speaker 1: his capitalist playboy lifestyle, but because it was a kind 374 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,399 Speaker 1: of place where he could exploit capitalism. This was a 375 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: place where he was able to do a lot of 376 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:38,479 Speaker 1: his business, including potentially running computing or tech businesses for 377 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:42,560 Speaker 1: the North Korean regime. They've been suggestions over the years 378 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:45,440 Speaker 1: that he was running the Korean Computer Center and involved 379 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: in a lot of cyber activities, either on behalf of 380 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: the North Korean regime or on on his own behalf. 381 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 1: There we don't have solid answers to these questions. Kim 382 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: jong Nam might have had access to millions of dollars 383 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: at a time, and other North Korean elites were desperate 384 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 1: to make money for the regime, And as one of 385 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 1: our sources who agreed to speak on background suggested, there's 386 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 1: another layer to this tantalizing theory. Kim jong Nam's online 387 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 1: businesses were much more than just fronts to make money. 388 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: They were also backdoors to order and procure equipment for 389 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: the regime. That is, when North Korea could an import 390 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: and item because of sanctions, Kim Jong Nam, from the 391 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: safety of Southern China could use his online businesses to 392 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: procure it for them, and according to our source, he 393 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: used that loophole to buy gadgets and tech that could 394 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 1: be used to fuel North Korea's cyber warfare division. Then 395 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 1: Kim jong Nam was not living a life of exile 396 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: in Macao. He was actively helping build up one of 397 00:29:54,640 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: the regime's most notorious and now dangerous divisions. In other words, 398 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 1: Kim jong Nam had power, and that might have stoked 399 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 1: the ire of other North Korean elites who were not 400 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: only jealous of the connections he had, but also struggling 401 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 1: to make their payments to the regime. They probably wanted 402 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 1: to get their hands on his secret recipe, but from 403 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: his capitalist perch and Macau, Kim jong Nam saw no 404 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 1: reason to share it, so maybe they wanted to take 405 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 1: it from him. We had to learn more about this theory. 406 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: Was it possible that Kim jong Nam's death was in 407 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 1: fact sparked not by Kim Jong un but by jealous 408 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:01,320 Speaker 1: North Korean elites desperate to get their hands on his 409 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: money making software. The theory does make some sense. After all, 410 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: there were at least two attempts on Kim jong Nam's 411 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 1: life in the years prior long before Kim jong un 412 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: held any power. It's extremely unlikely his father, when he 413 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: was in control, had ordered these hits. So who did 414 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: Was someone trying to clear the path to the throne, 415 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 1: or were they trying to get their hands on his money? 416 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 1: Or were they after this tantalizing software that he and 417 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: only he controlled. We tried to corroborate our anonymous sources claims, 418 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: but most experts we interviewed couldn't confirm it. However, they 419 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:44,680 Speaker 1: didn't rule it out either. My name is Sue Kim. 420 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 1: I'm a policy analyst at the Rare Incorporation UM. I 421 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 1: was a CIA analyst on North Korea. Sue Kim has 422 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: thought about these possibilities. Could someone else have ordered the 423 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 1: hit on Kim jong nam, whether on their own or 424 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: maybe as a favor to the new Supreme leader? Absolutely possible. 425 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: I would say that for for a senior North three 426 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:08,560 Speaker 1: officials due to want to do this as a quote 427 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 1: unquote favor, But I think this would have to be 428 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: approved by by Kim jongan because not just because of 429 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,600 Speaker 1: the high stakes involved in terms of you know, killing 430 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: a family member, but because there's potential backlash. I think 431 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: up to a certain point, yes, it's possible, But then again, 432 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 1: keep in mind that decisions authority it's all resting on 433 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 1: Kim Jongan, so very likely Kim Jongan had to at 434 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 1: least approve the hit, But that's not the same as 435 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 1: ordering the hit, and as Kim Jongan had proven before, 436 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: he wasn't afraid to do that. That takes us back 437 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:57,240 Speaker 1: to the beginning of this episode, when Kim Jongan was 438 00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 1: masquerading as a Brazilian boy called Joseph Plague. While studying 439 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,960 Speaker 1: in Switzerland, Kim Jongan fell in love with the snow 440 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: and the mountains. He learned how to ski and spent 441 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 1: weekends at resorts outside the city of Burn. When he 442 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 1: became Supreme Leader, Kim Jongan was determined to bring these 443 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:21,560 Speaker 1: places to North Korea, So about a year and a 444 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 1: half into his regime, Kim Jongan told Chang Song tech 445 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: that he wanted to build both a ski resort and 446 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: a water park. According to the testimony of a defector, 447 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:36,760 Speaker 1: this is where Uncle Chang first slipped. He suggested that 448 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:39,720 Speaker 1: the young ruler should focus on the economy before he 449 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 1: ventured to build a water park. Kim jong un did 450 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 1: not take this suggestion. Well, we don't know what happened 451 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:52,120 Speaker 1: behind the palace walls, but it's reasonable to assume that 452 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 1: Kim Jongan argued that building a luxury resort was building 453 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 1: up the economy because in two thousand and six the 454 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 1: United Nations targeted North Korea with sanctions hitting nearly every 455 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:08,799 Speaker 1: sector of its economy with the exception of tourism. Tourism 456 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,360 Speaker 1: has been a very big part also of how the 457 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 1: state makes money. And um, these were special zones for 458 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: inter crean tourism, and there was actually a lot of 459 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 1: activity that went on between them. Um, there's a real 460 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:24,479 Speaker 1: rise in tourism from China, and you saw a real 461 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:31,640 Speaker 1: emphasis and investment in creating more attractive tourist destinations, so 462 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 1: different Hot Springs, Um. You know, the build up of 463 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 1: the beach resort at once and over the years the 464 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 1: massive ground um Ski resort. So what Uncle Tong saw 465 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 1: as wasteful spending on piddling pleasure resorts was in fact, 466 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:51,040 Speaker 1: in Kim Jongan's mind at least an investment, a way 467 00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:54,719 Speaker 1: to make much needed money in a legitimate way. It 468 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:57,120 Speaker 1: was also a way to convince citizens that life was 469 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 1: indeed getting better. But Chung's opposition made Kim Jongan skeptical 470 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 1: of his father's old number two, and so he's looking around. 471 00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:10,360 Speaker 1: He's looking around. He's looking at these grizzled six seventy 472 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:13,279 Speaker 1: five year old North Korean officials. He's looking to see 473 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 1: who's going to be loyal and who's going to form 474 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 1: an alternative power center, who's going to be a threat 475 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:21,759 Speaker 1: to his consolidation of power. That's where Jong Song Tech 476 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:27,399 Speaker 1: starts to loom large. Eventually, Uncle Tong complied, and within 477 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 1: a few years, as North Korea plunged into another food crisis, 478 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: Kim Jong Un would proudly unveil the mash Young Ski 479 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 1: Resort and the muns Who Water Park. He constructs a 480 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: dolphin aquarium and developed the Sandy Beach front around the 481 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:50,440 Speaker 1: Royal compounded One's Hunt with department stores, golf courses, beach resorts, 482 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 1: and missile launch pads. But according to defectors, Kim Jong 483 00:35:55,640 --> 00:36:00,760 Speaker 1: Un and Uncle Tong's relationship never recovered, and he started 484 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,640 Speaker 1: to undermine his death. He started to undermine his nephew. 485 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 1: And we have to look at it from the perspective 486 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:08,799 Speaker 1: of Jong Song Tech. John Song Tech is a man 487 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 1: in his late sixties. He had been in the center 488 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:14,120 Speaker 1: of North Korea power going back to the nineties seventies, 489 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:16,880 Speaker 1: he had fallen in and out of favor, and so 490 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,560 Speaker 1: you could see Jong Sung Tech being sixty five sixty 491 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:24,120 Speaker 1: six years old in two thousand eleven and said, why 492 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:26,240 Speaker 1: am I going to turn over all of this power? 493 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 1: Why am I going to turn over my life's work 494 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 1: to my snot nosed twentysomething nephew. Maybe there is a 495 00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:35,840 Speaker 1: degree of resentment in that, and so that starts to 496 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:40,520 Speaker 1: form these tensions. Things got even testier when the dear 497 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 1: Leader ordered Changue to relinquish control of a condensed milk 498 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 1: factory and a fish farm. Apparently members of the government 499 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:51,479 Speaker 1: loyal to change blocked the transition when Kim Jong UN's 500 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:55,719 Speaker 1: men came to take over. Some say that was the 501 00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:59,719 Speaker 1: last straw. Others suggest that Kim Jong Un had this 502 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 1: covered Uncle Chang's secret that in two thousand and eight, 503 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 1: when Kim Jong Il was recovering from a stroke, Chang 504 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 1: had been pushing unsuccessfully to have King Chong Nam chosen 505 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 1: as the next successor. Chang Song Tech, in other words, 506 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:21,720 Speaker 1: was a trader to Kim Jong Un from the start. 507 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,200 Speaker 1: Kim Jong Un sort of had to put his uncle 508 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:29,280 Speaker 1: down because his uncle was undermining him. In late Uncle 509 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:33,480 Speaker 1: Chang was escorted to the Kongon Military Academy, were two 510 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:38,840 Speaker 1: of his closest deputies and arguably two of his closest friends, 511 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:43,680 Speaker 1: were trotted in front of anti aircraft machine guns. The 512 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:49,560 Speaker 1: weapons designed to pierce the steel fuselage of airplanes, turned 513 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:55,760 Speaker 1: the men into pulp. The remains were incinerated with flamethrowers. 514 00:37:57,440 --> 00:38:04,320 Speaker 1: Uncle Chang immediately face did change. Had survived purges before, 515 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 1: He had been demoted in the past and even sent 516 00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:11,080 Speaker 1: to re education camps. But when Kim Jong il was 517 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:15,840 Speaker 1: in charge, he was always considered family an accordion playing 518 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,920 Speaker 1: goofball on the other side of the dining table. But 519 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:25,680 Speaker 1: this was a new time and Uncle Chang's behavior was 520 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 1: a tangible threat for the new Supreme leader, and a 521 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:33,880 Speaker 1: Jong Song Tech was undermining him in a way that 522 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,720 Speaker 1: really not only threatened Kim Jong un as a political figure, 523 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:41,800 Speaker 1: but probably threatened Kim Jong UN's life. He was probably 524 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:45,399 Speaker 1: the only person in North Korea's political culture that could 525 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 1: ferment an assassination against his nephew. Jong Sung Tech was 526 00:38:49,120 --> 00:38:51,919 Speaker 1: the only one who had the intelligence and the personality 527 00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:54,920 Speaker 1: and the connections to be able to make the morning 528 00:38:54,960 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 1: after the coup successful. On December eighth, about a week 529 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:06,800 Speaker 1: after his friends were executed, Chang was accused of dozens 530 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:10,640 Speaker 1: of charges. Namely, he had been planting his followers and 531 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:14,880 Speaker 1: keep posts and had quote work to stretch his tentacles 532 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:18,400 Speaker 1: even to the People's army with a foolish calculation that 533 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 1: he would succeed in staging a coup. Other charges seemed 534 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:26,799 Speaker 1: more petty and ridiculous. He was accused of clapping for 535 00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:31,760 Speaker 1: the new leader quote halfheartedly. A photograph of him leaning 536 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:35,120 Speaker 1: on an arm rest during a speech a bored expression 537 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:40,239 Speaker 1: on his face was used to prove his disloyalty. Kim 538 00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:44,840 Speaker 1: Jong Un was unsparing. He described Uncle Chang as quote 539 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 1: despicable human scum who was worse than a dog. Only 540 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:57,000 Speaker 1: a week past between Chang's arrest and his sentencing, he 541 00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:01,919 Speaker 1: was taken from the courtroom to the Kongo military training area, and, 542 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:06,239 Speaker 1: just like his deputies before him, told to kneel in 543 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:17,520 Speaker 1: front of an anti aircraft gun. The death of Uncle 544 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:22,000 Speaker 1: Tongue would be a wake up call. It didn't matter 545 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:25,680 Speaker 1: how loyal you were to Kim Jongan's father. It didn't 546 00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:28,880 Speaker 1: matter how well you help the transition of power. It 547 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:31,799 Speaker 1: didn't matter if you had good ideas about the economy, 548 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:37,360 Speaker 1: and it didn't matter that years earlier your passport said 549 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:41,319 Speaker 1: you were father and son. It really did send a 550 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:47,839 Speaker 1: message to not only Jiangsung text faction as to this 551 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:51,080 Speaker 1: is not your house, this is my house, UM, and 552 00:40:51,160 --> 00:40:53,520 Speaker 1: you need to fall in line, UM like I might 553 00:40:53,560 --> 00:40:57,560 Speaker 1: be young, but I still am decisive and can be brutal. 554 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 1: In other words, if you assent, you die. After Uncle 555 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:10,799 Speaker 1: Tong's death, Kim Jongan proudly stated, our party detected and 556 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:17,040 Speaker 1: purged the anti party counter revolutionary factionalists. His uncle's friends 557 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:21,680 Speaker 1: were quickly replaced from their posts. Dozens of his closest 558 00:41:21,719 --> 00:41:26,560 Speaker 1: family members were sent to prison camps. Defector testimonies suggests 559 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 1: that more than thirty of Uncle Tong's associates, including family, 560 00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:35,200 Speaker 1: would be killed by firing squad, but by the end 561 00:41:35,239 --> 00:41:41,720 Speaker 1: of one of Uncle Tong's closest associates, confidants and friends 562 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 1: was out there still alive. Kim Tongue ma'am on the 563 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:55,960 Speaker 1: Next Big Brother. How North Korea's relationship with the United 564 00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:00,200 Speaker 1: States may have contributed to Kim Jong Nam's death in 565 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:05,920 Speaker 1: more ways than one. Big Brother is a production of 566 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:09,359 Speaker 1: School of Humans and I Heart Radio and hosted by 567 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:13,560 Speaker 1: me even Lee. Lucas Riley is our writer, co director 568 00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:17,680 Speaker 1: and associate producer. Amelia Brock is our senior producer, co 569 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:22,800 Speaker 1: director and editor. Executive producers are Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr, 570 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:26,960 Speaker 1: Else Crowley, and Jason English. Our fact checker is Aaron Blakemore. 571 00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:32,800 Speaker 1: Music composed by Jason Todd Shannon and Tunewalders. Original score 572 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:37,440 Speaker 1: mixed by Vick Stafford, Audio editing by Jesse nice Wanger, 573 00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:41,840 Speaker 1: sound design and mixed by Harper W. Harris. Audio correction 574 00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:46,520 Speaker 1: by Josh Fisher. Voice acting by Mark Chung and Mike Coscarelli. 575 00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:51,319 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Ryan Murdoch and Will Pearson. If you're 576 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:53,839 Speaker 1: enjoying the podcast, help us get the word out by 577 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:58,040 Speaker 1: leaving a rating in your favorite podcast app. Until next time, 578 00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:03,800 Speaker 1: I'm even Lee. School of Humans