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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaHow a North Korean missile researcher became a South Korean MPImage source, PPPImage caption, Park Choong-kwon, 37, defected to South Korea in 2009 after graduating from university where he worked on building the North’s nuclear missilesFrances MaoBBC NewsSangmi HanBBC KoreanPublished12 April 2024As a young man, Park Choong-Kwon helped build the nuclear missiles that his homeland, North Korea, blasted off from time to time to threaten the West.Now he sits in its democratic neighbour’s legislature – a member of South Korea’s parliament elected just this week.When people migrate from authoritarian regimes to liberal democracies, they dream of a better life, of opportunities. A refugee becoming a lawmaker, or even one day president? It’s possible.But for a North Korean, it’s extraordinary. Park, at age 37, is just the fourth escapee ever to become a parliamentarian in the South.“I came to South Korea with nothing,” he told the BBC earlier this week, “and now I’ve entered the political arena.“I see all of this as the power of our liberal democracy and I think it’s all possible because our citizens made it happen. It is a miracle and a blessing.”For North Korean watchers, it’s also a sign of progress.”There are tens of thousands of North Koreans who voted with their feet, voted against the oppression of that regime with their lives – some lost – but others didn’t, and the world is benefiting from them,” says Sandra Fahy, an associate professor at Carleton University in Ottawa who’s researched life in North Korea.”Who better to understand the importance of democratic representation and political engagement than those who have lived in a world where it was forbidden?”Park escaped the clutches of the North Korean state a decade and a half ago when he was 23, having breathed not a word of his plans to his parents and other family members. It was too risky, and if they had known, that could have put them in peril, he says.He had spent his last three years embedded in the National Defense University – one of the elite students seen as the next generation entrusted with developing the North’s nuclear weapons technology.While relatively sheltered in the capital, he had grown up in the North in the 1990s, the period of massive famine in the country where millions died and desperate citizens turned to black market goods.But he was exposed to life outside – through South Korean TV shows smuggled in and study abroad in China, where his fixation on new ideas drew scrutiny from his minders.By the time he graduated university, he told Korean media, he had realised “how completely wrong and corrupt the North Korean regime was”.So he hatched his plan and waited.The release came one day in April 2009. North Korea that day had just managed to successfully launch its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) – the very same weapon he had toiled away for years on building. The whole country was “in a celebratory mood”; he saw the opportunity and slipped away the next morning under the cover of the jubilant noise.Getting out was an ordeal of course – he chose the faster but vastly more expensive route to China, which cost nearly 10 million won (£5,800 pounds; $7,300). Despite the cost, the fake passport provided by the broker was a shoddy certificate.But in a interview with NK News last year, he recalled the moment he realised he was potentially free. Clambering onto the Chinese-side banks of the Tumen River, there was a mingled sense of freedom and loss – leaving him feeling like an “international orphan”.Another life-changing moment came some time later when he received his South Korean passport – one of the happiest moments of his life, he says.Compared to many other defectors from the North, about 35,000 of whom have settled in the South since the 1990s, Park adapted quickly to his new life, a challenge smoothed out by his elite background and education.He was accepted into the country’s most prestigious university – Seoul National University – where he earned a PhD in materials science and engineering, and then landed a highly coveted job at Hyundai Steel, one of the South’s powerhouse conglomerates.And then the president’s party came knocking.Park told the BBC he hadn’t ever considered entering politics, but when the People Power Party reached out, he felt he wanted to give back through public service.As the number two delegate on the ruling party’s list for proportional voting seats, he was essentially guaranteed a spot in Wednesday’s elections – no matter how unfavourable the turnout. The results in the end were terrible for the deeply unpopular President Yoon Suk-yeol and his ruling PPP.South Korea’s ruling party suffers crushing defeatDid a spring onion bring down the South Korean president’s party?But Park is forward-facing and has big plans now as an elected lawmaker.In the South’s previous parliament, there had already been two sitting North Korean members – both with significant profiles. Thae Yong-ho, who represents the luxury district of Gangnam, was formerly a North Korean ambassador to the UK who famously defected in 2016 during his London stint.The other is rights activist Ji Seong-ho, who lost his left arm and leg as a young teenager in 1996 when he and his starving family were stealing coal from a train. He fainted from hunger and fell through a gap between the train cars; the wheels ran over him. He later managed an escape from North Korea on crutches.North Korean defector becomes first to win South Korea parliamentary seatThose representatives have long sought to improve the situation for their fellow defectors.Many say while they may have a new lease on life since arriving in the South, it’s tinged with a feeling of being treated like second-class citizens.That pushed Ji into running for office in 2020, campaigning on the rights of North Koreans, after a case where defectors accused of smuggling were forcibly returned by South Korean officials.A year earlier, an impoverished North Korean mother and daughter were found dead in their apartment in Seoul, having reportedly starved to death.Park says one of his first aims is improving the support given to North Koreans when they arrive in the South – and he’s pushing for lifelong packages. He says since the flow of new arrivals slowed to a trickle due to pandemic border closures, the budget should be re-allocated.He also wants to leave his mark on inter-Korean relations.And in that vein, he’s heartily endorsed his president’s current hawkish attitude towards dealing with the North and Kim Jong-un’s increased missile provocations.While some say the North has reacted because it was spooked by Yoon pursuing closer relationships with the US and Japan, Park dismisses that theory.“Some people think that since the Yoon government came in, the threat of war has increased. But it’s not true – the provocations were stronger under the previous administration,” he told the BBC.He points out the North’s missile launches and weapons development increased during President Moon Jae-in’s administration – which sought a more conciliatory approach to engaging with North Korea.But appeasement must not be the approach taken, he argues: “Blocking North Korea’s provocations is the most important priority, and that will lead to reducing the threat of war.”He believes in eventual reunification between the two halves of the peninsula. This is despite Kim Jong-un this year taking concerted steps to stamp out that prospect: branding the South as the enemy state and reportedly blowing up a massive arch symbolising the two Koreas coming together in the future.But Park is undeterred. He’s determined to “play a role as a bridge” in the South Korean government.“I want to help South Koreans view North Korea’s regime and its people separately, fostering a mindset conducive to unification.”Related TopicsNorth Korean defectorsSouth KoreaNorth Korea–South Korea relationsTop StoriesLive. Israel shoots down 300 Iranian drones and missiles with US help, says IDFIsrael on alert after unprecedented Iranian attackPublished54 minutes agoSydney police identify knife attacker who killed sixPublished24 minutes agoFeaturesBeing blind helps me connect with people, says diplomatThe 276 schoolgirls whose kidnap shocked the world’I felt anger hearing my dad’s experience of racism’The first ladies no longer happy to sacrifice careers for their husbandsThe trafficked war babies looking for their long-lost familiesWorld watches nervously to see what Iran does nextUkraine could face defeat in 2024. 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[ad_1] Park told the BBC he hadn’t ever considered entering politics, but when the People Power Party reached out, he felt he wanted to give back through public service. As…
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaGangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies after cardiac arrestPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Authorities say Ansari was hospitalised on Thursday after his health deterioratedA gangster-turned-politician has died of cardiac arrest in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, authorities said on Thursday.Mukhtar Ansari, the 63-year-old, five-time lawmaker from the state, had been in jail in since 2005. The circumstances of his death are disputed by his family who say he was given a “poisonous substance” in jail.Police tightened security in the state as crowds thronged outside Ansari’s home after the news of his death.Ansari, who ran his own gang in the 1990s, had more than 60 criminal cases against him, 15 of which included murder charges.He joined politics and won his first state election in 1996 in his home constituency of Mau. He remained a lawmaker from the seat till 2022.In April 2023, he was convicted for killing Krishnanand Rai, a lawmaker of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He received a life sentence earlier this month for a 1990 case involving fake arms licenses.On Thursday, jail authorities in Banda district said Ansari was taken to hospital after he complained of vomiting.”The patient was provided immediate medical care by a team of nine doctors,” a medical bulletin by the Rani Durgavati Medical College said. “But, despite their best efforts, he died due to a cardiac arrest.” Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Mukhtar Ansari had been in jail in since 2005Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari, an MP from the state, alleged that he was poisoned.”Mukhtar said that he was given a poisonous substance in food in jail,” Mr Ansari told reporters on Thursday. “This happened for the second time. Around 40 days ago also he was given poison. And recently on 19 March and 22 March , he was again given this [poison] due to which his condition deteriorated.”Ansari had been hospitalised on Tuesday after a fall in the washroom, according to jail authorities.He was initially treated in jail and then taken to the hospital for further treatment and discharged after 14 hours, they said in a statement.On Thursday, following the announcement of Ansari’s death, Uttar Pradesh police issued curfew orders in the state and held flag marches in certain parts. Ansari’s son Umar Ansari said he learnt the details of his father’s deteriorating health through media reports and had received no information from authorities before his death.”Two days ago, I came to meet him, but I was not allowed [to],” he said.Ansari’s post-mortem will be carried out on Friday. Read more India stories from the BBC:India opposition leader Kejriwal to remain in jailIndia’s army of gold refiners face new competitionThe Indians protesting in freezing cold for statehoodIndia in undersea race to mine world’s battery metal Extreme heat can double stillbirth among working women – study Related TopicsAsiaIndiaTop StoriesPost Office scandal: Calls for police to investigate after BBC reportPublished1 hour agoTop UN court orders Israel to allow aid into GazaPublished2 hours agoQuestions raised over Temu cash ‘giveaway’ offerPublished43 minutes agoFeaturesSecret papers show Post Office knew case was falseThe Papers: Water bosses a ‘disgrace’ and Easter honours ‘row’Waiting for Evan, Putin’s ‘bargaining chip’ in Russian jailWhy is Thames Water in so much trouble?Weekly quiz: How much did Kate’s Titanic piece of wood sell for?We’ve won £80k by entering 50 competitions a dayCould artificial intelligence benefit democracy?Vice, Vice, Baby: Who’ll be Trump’s running mate?AttributionSoundsLife after Pontins swapped tourists for tradespeopleElsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIf aliens existed, what would they look like?Let Brian Cox and Robin Ince guide you through the universe’s big questionsAttributionSoundsThe ultimate bromanceEnjoy the genius of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with a journey through the archivesAttributioniPlayerThe deadly history of wallpaper…Discover the extraordinary stories of the ordinary items all around youAttributionSoundsMost Read1Questions raised over Temu cash ‘giveaway’ offer2Scotland ‘hoodwinked’ by Trump, says former aide3Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 454Water bosses a ‘disgrace’ and Easter honours ‘row’5Calls for Post Office police probe after BBC story6Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place7Tory donor and four Conservative MPs given honours8Beyoncé’s country album: The verdict9Man arrested after death of Gogglebox star10We’ve won £80k by entering 50 competitions a day](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/0270/production/_133042600_gettyimages-99636957.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSwedes cheer end of long wait to join NatoPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage caption, Wilma: “If Russia were to attack us… then we have several countries backing us up”By Maddy SavageStockholmAlmost two years after applying to join Nato, many Swedes say there is palpable relief that the wait to secure membership in the military alliance is finally over.As Stockholm commuters rushed to work in temperatures of -1C, few were in the mood for a detailed post-mortem of the application process. But many said they already felt safer, just a day after Sweden officially joined Nato, following a document handover in Washington.”I think it’s great, actually. It feels safe, and about time,” said 58-year-old Kristina McConnell, who used to work in the military and was on her way to the city centre law firm where she now practised. Sweden embraced wartime neutrality for more than 200 years, and a decade ago a majority of residents were against joining the multinational military alliance. But support for membership crept up in the mid-2010s, amidst growing signs of Russian aggression in the region, including reports of spy planes in Baltic airspace and a suspected submarine in Swedish waters.In early 2022, the country’s then Social Democrat government – long opposed to joining Nato – reversed its position, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Sweden swiftly applied for membership.”Swedes were horrified by Russia’s action; they saw their elites rapidly change position on Nato; and they went along with it,” explained Nicholas Aylott, a political scientist at Södertörn University and the Swedish Institute of International Affairs.Image source, EPAImage caption, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (left) says Sweden shares “burdens, responsibilities and risk with other allies”Polls suggested about two thirds of voters were in favour of joining Nato as Sweden formally applied in May 2022. That figure has largely stayed constant; 63% of those asked in January 2024 said they supported Sweden becoming a Nato member, in a survey for polling firm Novus.What is Nato and why is Sweden joining now?How Sweden and Finland went from neutral to NatoAt Sergels torg, central Stockholm’s huge black-and-white paved square, Wilma, 16, told the BBC she already thought she would feel safer in her everyday life, now that Sweden was part of the 32-member Nato alliance.”If Russia were to attack us for example, then we have several countries backing us up, and so you can feel more secure.”There is also a clear sense of pride amongst many Swedes that their small country of just 10 million is being viewed as a valuable new member by others in the alliance.On Friday morning, Sweden’s commercial television news TV4 led its bulletins with video clips of US President Joe Biden mentioning Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in his State of the Union address. The cameras zoomed in on the centre-right Moderate party leader beaming in the crowd as Biden said: “Mr prime minister, welcome to Nato, the strongest military alliance the world has ever known.”Swedish tabloid Expressen wrote a round-up of how international media had responded to the development, citing US network NBC describing it as “the most significant expansion of the Western military alliance for decades”, and an editorial in Norwegian newspaper VG declaring that an “old dream of a Nordic defence union” had finally been fulfilled.Image caption, Stanislav Yordanov says his family is split on Nato membershipSweden’s membership application stalled because of opposition from Nato members Hungary and Turkey, who only recently reversed their positions.Turkey had initially withheld approval in a row over what it called Sweden’s support for Kurdish separatists, while Hungary accused Sweden of being hostile. Dr Aylott said the “long wait since Sweden’s application” had been a “source of much frustration” for Swedish politicians from across the spectrum. The lecturer added that “most of the political class is somewhere between mildly euphoric and just relieved” that the paperwork was complete. But there are still those who do not support Sweden’s Nato membership.The country’s Left party and the Green party remain are opposed. On Thursday, Left party lawmaker Håkan Svenneling appeared on Swedish public service television network SVT, saying there was now a risk of Sweden “being drawn into others’ wars and conflicts”.Kerstin Bergeå, Chair of the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (Svenska freds), told the same network that state money would be better spent on “investments in diplomacy, in prevention, in addressing the causes of conflict so that wars do not need to break out”.Outside Stockholm central station, 21-year-old Stanislav Yordanov – who moved to Sweden from Bulgaria when he was nine – said his family was split on Nato membership. The car rental sales agent believed Sweden’s accession “is good”, while other relatives “think it will trigger some nasty reactions from other countries”. The official line from the government and the military is that there is a possibility of conflict, but since all Nato members are expected to help an ally which comes under attack, Sweden will now be better protected.Still, in January, two top defence officials warned that Swedes should mentally and logistically start preparing for war.Despite accusations of alarmism, the messaging appeared to have a limited impact on the public, with few signs of panic-buying in Swedish supermarkets.”My impression is that most ordinary people are far less engaged [than the political elite],” said Dr Aylott. “Despite attempts by politicians and the military’s top brass to sound warnings recently about the danger of conflict spreading, few Swedes really think that the country is under serious threat.”But Aylott suggested that joining Nato would have a small but noticeable visual impact, which could impact public discussions.He said there was already a public debate about where and when the Nato flag should be flown by public institutions, and increased military co-operation would likely result in an increased military presence in the region.”Nato countries’ warships have quite often docked in Swedish ports. Still, there will probably be more of that – more foreign soldiers on Swedish soil, more joint exercises,” he explained, “and it might be quite visible.”Related TopicsWar in UkraineSwedenNatoUnited StatesMore on this storySweden formally joins Nato military alliancePublished20 hours agoWhat is Nato and why is Sweden joining now?Published26 FebruarySwedish alarm after defence chiefs’ war warningPublished10 JanuaryTop StoriesArmy’s top IRA spy ‘cost more lives than he saved’Published1 hour agoChris Kaba murder charge police officer named for first timePublished3 hours agoTheresa May to stand down as MP at next electionPublished2 hours agoFeaturesWhy does International Women’s Day matter?Weekly quiz: Which billionaire hired Rihanna to celebrate a wedding?Singapore sting: How spies listened in on German generalMH370: The families haunted by one of aviation’s greatest mysteriesPride, pilgrims and parades: Africa’s top shotsWhy did the IRA not kill Stakeknife?’I’m really shy’ – The return of Gossip’s Beth DittoHow are the child benefit rules changing?The Iranian female DJs shaking the dance floorElsewhere on the BBCFind out this foxy family’s BBC favourites…They’ve got their eyes on the MasterChef trophyAttributioniPlayerA mother’s plea for justiceDiscover the gripping story of Annette Hewins as her daughter seeks the truthAttributionSoundsCan new evidence solve aviation’s greatest mystery?Ten years after the Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared, new technology may explain whyAttributioniPlayerFrom the Smiths to solo successJohnny Marr shares his musical milestones with Matt EverittAttributionSoundsMost Read1Army’s top IRA spy ‘cost more lives than he saved’2’Bearman already marked out as potentially a special one’AttributionSport3Plan to return Castaway island to its wild state4Constance Marten: I carried baby’s body in a bag5Police officer accused of Chris Kaba murder named6Rangers fan dies in Lisbon after Europa League match7Two charged after baby death at hospital8Multiple failings led to man’s death in knife rampage9’Sex predators within police operate in plain sight’10Theresa May to stand down as MP at next election](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/F100/production/_132869616_sweden_nato_bbc.jpg)
