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{{short description|Spanish-North Korean political activist}}
fuck off you stupid little bitch! I am sorry I did not give you good anal sex, but we can't all be like kim jong ill!
{{family name hatnote|Cao de Benós de Les|Pérez|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Alejandro Cao de Benós
| image = Alejandro Cao de Benós de Les y Pérez in Pyongyang in 2012.JPG
| caption = Alejandro Cao de Benós in Pyongyang in 2012
| office = President of the [[Korean Friendship Association]]
| term_start = {{Start date|2000|08|08|df=y}}
| term_end =
| predecessor = ''Position created''
| successor =
| birth_name = Alejandro Cao de Benós de Les y Pérez
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|12|24|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Tarragona]], [[Francoist Spain|Spain]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.catalannews.com/politics/item/a-catalan-north-korean-official-ensures-that-the-government-will-be-collective-for-some-years-until-kim-jong-un-becomes-the-great-leader |title=A Catalan-North Korean Official ensures that "the government will be collective" for some years, until Kim Jong-un becomes the "Great Leader" |website=Catalan News |date=21 December 2011 |access-date=16 June 2022}}</ref>
| party = [[Workers' Party of Korea]] {{small|(honorary, since 2002)}}
| spouse =
| children =
| alma_mater =
| allegiance = {{flag|North Korea}}
| branch = [[Korean People's Army]]
| serviceyears =
| rank = [[File:Junior Lieutenant rank insignia (North Korea).svg|25px]] [[Junior Lieutenant]]<ref>[https://library.panos.co.uk/features/stories/revoluci-243-n-o-muerte.html#0_00150560 Revolución o Muerte]</ref>
| commands =
| signature =
}}
{{Infobox Korean name
|context=north
|img=
|width=109px
|hangul=조선일
|hanja=朝鮮一
|rr=Jo Seon Il
|mr=Cho Sŏn-il
}}
'''Alejandro Cao de Benós de Les y Pérez''' (born 24 December 1974) is a Spanish political activist. He is a Special Representative of the Foreign Ministry of North Korea.<ref name="James2012">{{cite web |url = https://www.nknews.org/2012/01/useful-idiots-the-curious-case-of-britains-pro-north-korean-community/ |title = 'Useful Idiots'? The curious case of Britain's pro-North Korean Community |first = Alexander |last = James |date = 29 January 2012 |work = [[NK News]] |accessdate = 27 May 2016 |url-status = live |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160506174809/https://www.nknews.org/2012/01/useful-idiots-the-curious-case-of-britains-pro-north-korean-community/ |archivedate = 6 May 2016 }}</ref> He is, according to himself, also the Special Delegate of North Korea's [[Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries]]. He is wanted by the US [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] for [[conspiracy]] to violate the [[International Emergency Economic Powers Act]] (IEEPA).<ref>{{Cite web |title=ALEJANDRO CAO DE BENOS |url=https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/counterintelligence/alejandro-cao-de-benos |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=Federal Bureau of Investigation |language=en-us}}</ref>

He is also the founder, president, and only salaried member of the [[Korean Friendship Association]] (KFA).<ref name="Skatun2015">{{cite web |url = http://www.nknews.org/2015/01/capitalist-credentials-n-korea-sympathizer-groups-huge-profit-on-access-to-country/ |title = Capitalist credentials: N. Korea sympathizer group's huge profit on access to country |first = Ole Jakob |last = Skåtun |date = 15 January 2015 |work = [[NK News]] |url-status = live |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160124162608/http://www.nknews.org/2015/01/capitalist-credentials-n-korea-sympathizer-groups-huge-profit-on-access-to-country/ |archivedate = 2016-01-24 }}</ref> He has been an advocate of North Korea since 1990. His Korean name, Cho Sun-il ("One Korea"),<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/59eapx/north-koreas-spanish-ambassador-just-got-arrested-for-arms-trafficking | title=North Korea's Spanish 'Ambassador' Just Got Arrested for Arms Trafficking }}</ref> is self-given but not a legal name as he travels using his Spanish passport.<ref name="Skatun2015" /> He is an honorary member of the ruling [[Workers' Party of Korea]] and the [[Korean People's Army]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/catalan-cheerleader-for-kim-pins-korean-embassy-raid-on-cia-6588gjlkv|title=Catalan 'cheerleader' for Kim pins Korean embassy raid on CIA|last=Bryan|first=Kenza|date=2019-04-07|work=The Sunday Times|access-date=2019-09-08|language=en|issn=0956-1382}}</ref> He has lived in [[Tarragona]] and [[Barcelona]], working as an IT consultant.<ref name="independent">{{cite web |url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/his-dear-leader-meet-north-koreas-secret-weapon--an-it-consultant-from-spain-6291303.html |title = His dear leader: Meet North Korea's secret weapon – an IT consultant from Spain |first = Tim |last = Hume |date = 21 January 2012 |work = [[The Independent]] |accessdate = 4 May 2015 |url-status = live |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150510141403/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/his-dear-leader-meet-north-koreas-secret-weapon--an-it-consultant-from-spain-6291303.html |archivedate = 10 May 2015 }}</ref> In April 2022, the [[United States Department of Justice|US Department of Justice]] charged Cao de Benós "with conspiring to violate United States sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cryptocurrency: British man charged with conspiring to help North Korea evade US sanctions |url=https://news.sky.com/story/cryptocurrency-british-man-charged-with-conspiring-to-help-north-korea-evade-us-sanctions-12599041 |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-25 |title=U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Two European Citizens For Conspiring With A U.S. Citizen To Assist North Korea In Evading U.S. Sanctions |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-attorney-announces-charges-against-two-european-citizens-conspiring-us-citizen |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=www.justice.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Stempel |first=Jonathan |date=2022-04-26 |title=U.S. charges two Europeans over North Korea crypto conspiracy involving an American |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-charges-two-europeans-with-conspiring-help-north-korea-evade-sanctions-2022-04-25/ |access-date=2022-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Crypto Conference in North Korea Leads to More Criminal Charges |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/white-collar-and-criminal-law/crypto-conference-in-north-korea-leads-to-more-criminal-charges |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=news.bloomberglaw.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Family origins ==
Cao de Benós comes from a Spanish noble family. His paternal ancestors were the barons of Les, marquesses of Rosalmonte and counts of Argelejo, [[Grandee]]s{{Citation needed|date=January 2022}} belonging to the highest-ranking members of the Spanish nobility, who were linked for centuries to the [[Spanish Army]] and [[Spanish Navy|Navy]]. Many of them were defenders of [[Carlism]] and [[Francoism]]. Although Cao de Benós's grandfather was born rich, he lost his inheritance and ended up working as a guard for [[Repsol|Repsol-Butano]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Villarino |first1=Ángel |title=Un aristócrata español en la corte de Kim Jong Il |url=http://www.larazon.es/historico/1721-un-aristocrata-espanol-en-el-corazon-del-ejercito-coreano-ULLA_RAZON_421250 |publisher=LaRazón.es |date=2011 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419100849/http://www.larazon.es/historico/1721-un-aristocrata-espanol-en-el-corazon-del-ejercito-coreano-ULLA_RAZON_421250 |archivedate=2017-04-19 }}</ref>
==Early communist activities==

Cao de Benós de Les began his political activism when he was 15 or 16 years old, becoming secretary of the Organization of the [[Collectives of Communist Youth]] (youth organization of the [[Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain]]) in [[Granada]] in the early 1990s. In 1993, during his stay in the Granada town of [[La Zubia]], he registered the friendship association with North Korea "9 de Septiembre" as a cultural organization. Under this organization, Cao de Benós held conferences and an exhibition.

==Korean Friendship Association activities==
Cao de Benós founded the Korea Friendship Association (KFA) in 2000, purchasing and establishing his privately owned domain name which whilst claiming to be officially sanctioned is privately owned and registered in his name.<ref name="Skatun2015" /><ref>[http://www.korea-dpr.com The Official Webpage of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016110259/http://www.korea-dpr.com//Air%20Koryo/destinations.htm |date=2009-10-16 }}</ref> All official government and ministerial sites of North Korea have the [[.kp]] domain and, given the [[WHOIS]] record for KFA's website points towards it being the personally owned domain of Cao de Benós, there is doubt about its claim to be the "official web page of DPR of Korea" and thus Cao de Benós's claims of his actual status in North Korea's hierarchy.<ref name="Skatun2015" /><ref>{{cite web|title=WHOIS query results for korea-dpr.com|url=https://whois.icann.org/en/lookup?name=www.korea-dpr.com|url-status=live|publisher=[[ICANN]]|accessdate=2016-01-14|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804231754/https://whois.icann.org/en/lookup?name=www.korea-dpr.com|archivedate=2016-08-04}}</ref>

Cao de Benós has regularly visited [[Pyongyang]], assisting with press pass application and acting as a translator for the foreign press (constantly under supervision of local authorities) and helping to schedule business meetings. Cao de Benós acts for a commission as an intermediary in such meetings and in line with having no official paid employment is not paid any base salary.<ref name="Skatun2015" /><ref name="independent" /> He has written numerous articles on matters relating to the political situation in the Korean Peninsula, dissemination of state propaganda as well as giving press interviews. Cao de Benós is one of the few foreigners to claim to follow the North Korean party line; he continues as president of his company the Korean Friendship Association. Cao de Benós is featured in the documentaries ''Friends of Kim'', ''[[The Propaganda Game]]'' and ''[[The Mole: Undercover in North Korea]]''.

==Pyongyang Cafe==
In July 2016, Cao de Benós founded a bar called Pyongyang Cafe in [[Tarragona]], which is decorated with North Korean propaganda posters and features regular talks on subjects such as tourism.<ref name="cafe">{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pyongyang-cafe-a-kim-jong-un-ally-on-the-spanish-coast/ar-BBvlsVt?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=mailsignout |title=Pyongyang Cafe, a Kim Jong-Un ally on the Spanish coast |website=[[MSN]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810112819/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pyongyang-cafe-a-kim-jong-un-ally-on-the-spanish-coast/ar-BBvlsVt?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=mailsignout |archivedate=2016-08-10 }}</ref> The café closed to the public in March 2017 and became a members-only establishment for KFA members.<ref name="closure">{{cite web|url=http://cronicaglobal.elespanol.com/vida/cierra-corea-norte-tarragona_69221_102.html|title=Only place in the West dedicated to North Korea closes in Tarragona (in Spanish)|date=2017-03-07}}</ref>

==Criticism==
Cao de Benós has been the subject of widespread criticism from the Western press for, among other things, trying to restrict [[freedom of expression]] of journalists. He has expelled members of the Korea Friendship Association for "disrespect".<ref name="FriendsofKim">This incident and Alejandro's acknowledgement of responsibility can be seen in the [http://www.micromovies.nl/?p=films&film=3 "Friends of Kim"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904213833/http://www.micromovies.nl/?p=films&film=3 |date=2013-09-04 }} documentary</ref> He has also been accused of threatening and intimidating journalists critical of North Korea. [[Andrew Morse]] of [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] visited North Korea in 2004, at the invitation of the Association. Morse was accused of using sensationalist language to describe North Korean [[Collective farming|collective farms]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2556171 |title=For love of Dear Leader: Spaniard's mission is to show North to world |editor=Korea Joongang Daily |date=April 17, 2005 |url-status=usurped |accessdate=15 September 2015 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120711074640/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2556171 |archivedate=11 July 2012 }}</ref> When asked about the incident, Cao de Benós said, "Mr. Morse broke almost every rule specified beforehand, including the DPRK law. So after several warnings that he completely ignored, appropriate measures were taken."<ref name="FriendsofKim"/> The "appropriate measures" included unauthorized entry and search of journalist Morse's Pyongyang hotel room, including destruction of his laptop and recordings; Cao de Benós compelled Morse to write a letter of apology under duress, in exchange for being granted permission to leave the country.<ref name="FriendsofKim"/>

While he is authorized to "promote and develop cultural relations," Cao de Benós has been criticized for fraudulently representing himself as a North Korean government employee and the KFA as an official North Korean entity, neither of which are true.<ref name="Skatun2015" /><ref name=":1" />

Cao de Benós has been criticized for charging more than twice as much as other tour organizers to bring filmmakers, artists and tourists to North Korea.<ref name="Skatun2015" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nknews.org/2015/01/prominent-pro-north-korea-figure-denounces-kfa-president-alejandro-cao-de-benos/ |title=prominent-pro-north-korea-figure-denounces-kfa-president-alejandro-cao-de-benos |date=26 January 2015 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203215820/https://www.nknews.org/2015/01/prominent-pro-north-korea-figure-denounces-kfa-president-alejandro-cao-de-benos/ |archivedate=2016-02-03 }}</ref> In exchange for these higher prices, he promises exclusive access, although the attractions on his itinerary are comparable to those on any other tour. Furthermore, Cao de Benós has historically failed to secure permits and permissions for even standard, relatively highly-accessible attractions.<ref name="Skatun2015" /><ref name=":1"/>

In 2020, an unpublished report by the UN Panel of Experts denounced Cao de Benós for violating UN sanctions by facilitating a joint venture between the DPRK and KFA.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-10|title=Spanish aristocrat behind a North Korea sympathizer group violated UN sanctions|url=https://www.nknews.org/2020/08/spanish-aristocrat-behind-a-north-korea-sympathizer-group-violated-un-sanctions/|access-date=2020-10-05|website=[[NK News]]|language=en-US}}</ref> A federal arrest warrant was issued in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York on January 27, 2022, after he was charged with [[conspiracy]] to violate the [[International Emergency Economic Powers Act]] (IEEPA). He is wanted by the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] from January 2022 for working with an American citizen to illegally provide
cryptocurrency and blockchain technology services to the DPRK.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ALEJANDRO CAO DE BENOS |url=https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/counterintelligence/alejandro-cao-de-benos |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=Federal Bureau of Investigation |language=en-us}}</ref> For that, he was arrested on 30 November 2023 in Madrid but he was released soon after.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2023/12/01/6569e4ace85ecee64f8b45ac.html |title=La Policía detiene en Madrid a Alejandro Cao de Benós, vinculado a Corea del Norte y buscado por el FBI por un delito de estafa |first=Gema |last=Peñalosa |date=1 December 2023 |access-date=1 December 2023 |newspaper=[[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]] |language=es}}</ref>

== Awards and honors ==
Cao de Benós can be seen wearing his North Korean decorations in a picture taken alongside [[Yang Hyong-sop]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-21 |title=내년 북한 블록체인 행사 최고인민회의 부위원장 후원? |url=http://www.nkeconomy.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=860 |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=NK경제 |language=ko}}</ref>
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|[[File:DPRK_Order_of_Labor.png|150x150px]]
|[[File:DPRK_ribbon_bar_-_Order_of_Friendship_2nd_Class.svg|150x150px]]
|[[File:DPRK ribbon bar - Order of National Flag 3rd Class.svg|150x150px]]
|-
|[[File:DPRK ribbon bar - Order of Soldier's Honor 2nd Class.svg|150x150px]]
|[[File:Commemorative_Medal_Anniversary_of_the_Foundation_of_the_Democratic_People's_Republic_of_Korea_ribbon.gif|150x150px]]
|[[File:装饰略章.svg|150x150px]]
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[Kim Myong-chol]]
* [[Robert Egan]]
* [[Dermot Hudson]]
* ''[[The Mole: Undercover in North Korea]]'', a documentary in which [[Ulrich Larsen - The Mole|Ulrich Larsen]], an undercover [[Mole (espionage)|mole]], covertly [[Deception|dupes]] Cao de Benós and infiltrates his activities within the [[Korean Friendship Association]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{cite web|title=Resume of Alejandro Cao de Benos|url=http://www.korea-dpr.com/kfaorg/alejandro_cao_de_benos.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124112346/http://www.korea-dpr.com/kfaorg/alejandro_cao_de_benos.htm|archive-date=24 January 2008}}
*{{cite web|title=Alejandro Cao de Benós blog|url=http://www.alejandrocaodebenos.com/blog/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150125210448/http://www.alejandrocaodebenos.com/blog/|archive-date=25 January 2015}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|first=Alejandro|last=Cao de Benós|year=2009|title=Korea&nbsp;— The Songun Citadel|location=Bangkok|publisher=Papermate|url=http://www.friend.com.kp/index.php?fid=89cabcb4db04d4dcacfcf56ab4b4cb0adcb4f294b50ab4b2e4ab035060086d809ab7#.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416020534/http://www.friend.com.kp/index.php?fid=89cabcb4db04d4dcacfcf56ab4b4cb0adcb4f294b50ab4b2e4ab035060086d809ab7|archive-date=16 April 2016}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cao de Benos, Alejandro}}
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Tarragona]]
[[Category:Spanish untitled nobility]]
[[Category:Spanish activists]]
[[Category:Spanish communists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Friendship (North Korea)]]
[[Category:North Korea–Spain relations]]
[[Category:Experts on North Korea]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the National Flag]]

Latest revision as of 17:33, 3 November 2024

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Cao de Benós de Les and the second or maternal family name is Pérez.
Alejandro Cao de Benós
Alejandro Cao de Benós in Pyongyang in 2012
President of the Korean Friendship Association
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 August 2000 (2000-08-08)
Preceded byPosition created
Personal details
Born
Alejandro Cao de Benós de Les y Pérez

(1974-12-24) 24 December 1974 (age 50)
Tarragona, Spain[1]
Political partyWorkers' Party of Korea (honorary, since 2002)
Military service
Allegiance North Korea
Branch/serviceKorean People's Army
Rank Junior Lieutenant[2]
Alejandro Cao de Benós
Chosŏn'gŭl
조선일
Hancha
朝鮮一
Revised RomanizationJo Seon Il
McCune–ReischauerCho Sŏn-il

Alejandro Cao de Benós de Les y Pérez (born 24 December 1974) is a Spanish political activist. He is a Special Representative of the Foreign Ministry of North Korea.[3] He is, according to himself, also the Special Delegate of North Korea's Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. He is wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).[4]

He is also the founder, president, and only salaried member of the Korean Friendship Association (KFA).[5] He has been an advocate of North Korea since 1990. His Korean name, Cho Sun-il ("One Korea"),[6] is self-given but not a legal name as he travels using his Spanish passport.[5] He is an honorary member of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean People's Army.[7] He has lived in Tarragona and Barcelona, working as an IT consultant.[8] In April 2022, the US Department of Justice charged Cao de Benós "with conspiring to violate United States sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea."[9][10][11][12]

Family origins

[edit]

Cao de Benós comes from a Spanish noble family. His paternal ancestors were the barons of Les, marquesses of Rosalmonte and counts of Argelejo, Grandees[citation needed] belonging to the highest-ranking members of the Spanish nobility, who were linked for centuries to the Spanish Army and Navy. Many of them were defenders of Carlism and Francoism. Although Cao de Benós's grandfather was born rich, he lost his inheritance and ended up working as a guard for Repsol-Butano.[13]

Early communist activities

[edit]

Cao de Benós de Les began his political activism when he was 15 or 16 years old, becoming secretary of the Organization of the Collectives of Communist Youth (youth organization of the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain) in Granada in the early 1990s. In 1993, during his stay in the Granada town of La Zubia, he registered the friendship association with North Korea "9 de Septiembre" as a cultural organization. Under this organization, Cao de Benós held conferences and an exhibition.

Korean Friendship Association activities

[edit]

Cao de Benós founded the Korea Friendship Association (KFA) in 2000, purchasing and establishing his privately owned domain name which whilst claiming to be officially sanctioned is privately owned and registered in his name.[5][14] All official government and ministerial sites of North Korea have the .kp domain and, given the WHOIS record for KFA's website points towards it being the personally owned domain of Cao de Benós, there is doubt about its claim to be the "official web page of DPR of Korea" and thus Cao de Benós's claims of his actual status in North Korea's hierarchy.[5][15]

Cao de Benós has regularly visited Pyongyang, assisting with press pass application and acting as a translator for the foreign press (constantly under supervision of local authorities) and helping to schedule business meetings. Cao de Benós acts for a commission as an intermediary in such meetings and in line with having no official paid employment is not paid any base salary.[5][8] He has written numerous articles on matters relating to the political situation in the Korean Peninsula, dissemination of state propaganda as well as giving press interviews. Cao de Benós is one of the few foreigners to claim to follow the North Korean party line; he continues as president of his company the Korean Friendship Association. Cao de Benós is featured in the documentaries Friends of Kim, The Propaganda Game and The Mole: Undercover in North Korea.

Pyongyang Cafe

[edit]

In July 2016, Cao de Benós founded a bar called Pyongyang Cafe in Tarragona, which is decorated with North Korean propaganda posters and features regular talks on subjects such as tourism.[16] The café closed to the public in March 2017 and became a members-only establishment for KFA members.[17]

Criticism

[edit]

Cao de Benós has been the subject of widespread criticism from the Western press for, among other things, trying to restrict freedom of expression of journalists. He has expelled members of the Korea Friendship Association for "disrespect".[18] He has also been accused of threatening and intimidating journalists critical of North Korea. Andrew Morse of ABC News visited North Korea in 2004, at the invitation of the Association. Morse was accused of using sensationalist language to describe North Korean collective farms.[19] When asked about the incident, Cao de Benós said, "Mr. Morse broke almost every rule specified beforehand, including the DPRK law. So after several warnings that he completely ignored, appropriate measures were taken."[18] The "appropriate measures" included unauthorized entry and search of journalist Morse's Pyongyang hotel room, including destruction of his laptop and recordings; Cao de Benós compelled Morse to write a letter of apology under duress, in exchange for being granted permission to leave the country.[18]

While he is authorized to "promote and develop cultural relations," Cao de Benós has been criticized for fraudulently representing himself as a North Korean government employee and the KFA as an official North Korean entity, neither of which are true.[5][20]

Cao de Benós has been criticized for charging more than twice as much as other tour organizers to bring filmmakers, artists and tourists to North Korea.[5][20] In exchange for these higher prices, he promises exclusive access, although the attractions on his itinerary are comparable to those on any other tour. Furthermore, Cao de Benós has historically failed to secure permits and permissions for even standard, relatively highly-accessible attractions.[5][20]

In 2020, an unpublished report by the UN Panel of Experts denounced Cao de Benós for violating UN sanctions by facilitating a joint venture between the DPRK and KFA.[21] A federal arrest warrant was issued in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York on January 27, 2022, after he was charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). He is wanted by the FBI from January 2022 for working with an American citizen to illegally provide cryptocurrency and blockchain technology services to the DPRK.[22] For that, he was arrested on 30 November 2023 in Madrid but he was released soon after.[23]

Awards and honors

[edit]

Cao de Benós can be seen wearing his North Korean decorations in a picture taken alongside Yang Hyong-sop.[24]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "A Catalan-North Korean Official ensures that "the government will be collective" for some years, until Kim Jong-un becomes the "Great Leader"". Catalan News. 21 December 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  2. ^ Revolución o Muerte
  3. ^ James, Alexander (29 January 2012). "'Useful Idiots'? The curious case of Britain's pro-North Korean Community". NK News. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  4. ^ "ALEJANDRO CAO DE BENOS". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Skåtun, Ole Jakob (15 January 2015). "Capitalist credentials: N. Korea sympathizer group's huge profit on access to country". NK News. Archived from the original on 2016-01-24.
  6. ^ "North Korea's Spanish 'Ambassador' Just Got Arrested for Arms Trafficking".
  7. ^ Bryan, Kenza (2019-04-07). "Catalan 'cheerleader' for Kim pins Korean embassy raid on CIA". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  8. ^ a b Hume, Tim (21 January 2012). "His dear leader: Meet North Korea's secret weapon – an IT consultant from Spain". The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Cryptocurrency: British man charged with conspiring to help North Korea evade US sanctions". Sky News. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  10. ^ "U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Two European Citizens For Conspiring With A U.S. Citizen To Assist North Korea In Evading U.S. Sanctions". www.justice.gov. 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  11. ^ Stempel, Jonathan (2022-04-26). "U.S. charges two Europeans over North Korea crypto conspiracy involving an American". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  12. ^ "Crypto Conference in North Korea Leads to More Criminal Charges". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  13. ^ Villarino, Ángel (2011). "Un aristócrata español en la corte de Kim Jong Il". LaRazón.es. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19.
  14. ^ The Official Webpage of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Archived 2009-10-16 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "WHOIS query results for korea-dpr.com". ICANN. Archived from the original on 2016-08-04. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
  16. ^ "Pyongyang Cafe, a Kim Jong-Un ally on the Spanish coast". MSN. Archived from the original on 2016-08-10.
  17. ^ "Only place in the West dedicated to North Korea closes in Tarragona (in Spanish)". 2017-03-07.
  18. ^ a b c This incident and Alejandro's acknowledgement of responsibility can be seen in the "Friends of Kim" Archived 2013-09-04 at the Wayback Machine documentary
  19. ^ Korea Joongang Daily, ed. (April 17, 2005). "For love of Dear Leader: Spaniard's mission is to show North to world". Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  20. ^ a b c "prominent-pro-north-korea-figure-denounces-kfa-president-alejandro-cao-de-benos". 26 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-02-03.
  21. ^ "Spanish aristocrat behind a North Korea sympathizer group violated UN sanctions". NK News. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  22. ^ "ALEJANDRO CAO DE BENOS". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  23. ^ Peñalosa, Gema (1 December 2023). "La Policía detiene en Madrid a Alejandro Cao de Benós, vinculado a Corea del Norte y buscado por el FBI por un delito de estafa". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  24. ^ "내년 북한 블록체인 행사 최고인민회의 부위원장 후원?". NK경제 (in Korean). 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
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Further reading

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