Secret Kim Opponents Claim Raid on North Korea Embassy in Spain

Mar 27 2019, 5:03 AMMar 27 2019, 6:01 AMMarch 27 2019, 5:03 AMMarch 27 2019, 6:01 AM

(Bloomberg) -- A secretive group seeking to overthrow Kim Jong Un’s regime claimed responsibility for a raid last month on North Korea’s embassy in Madrid, alleging the country’s overseas missions are conduits for illicit funds.

The group, called Free Joseon and previously known as Cheollima Civil Defense, said in a statement posted to its website on Wednesday that its actions were in response “to an urgent situation in the Madrid embassy.” It also asked the public for information on what it claimed was illegal activity being carried out in the embassy.

Some 10 people took part in the raid, including one person believed to be a U.S. resident and another a Mexican citizen, according to a Spanish court document.

North Korea only has some two dozen embassies worldwide. The rare raid took place just before February’s summit in Hanoi between Kim and President Donald Trump, raising questions about who was responsible and whether the timing was related to any motive.

Moon Faces New Pressure in South Korea to Revive Trump-Kim Talks

Free Joseon posted on Feb. 25 that it had “received requests for help from a Western country,” without specifying further. U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said at a briefing on Tuesday that Spanish authorities were handling the investigation into the raid. “The United States government had nothing to do with this,” he said.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry declined to comment on Free Joseon’s claim.

Shadowy Group

Over the years, the U.S. has accused North Korea of using its overseas missions to aid narcotics trafficking and spread counterfeit U.S. currency -- allegations North Korea has denied. The country’s finances have been crippled by international sanctions penalizing its disputed nuclear weapons program.

“The regime’s embassies and offices are hubs of illicit narcotics and arms trafficking,” Free Joseon’s statement said. Joseon is a Korean-language term for Korea.

The group claimed it found evidence to support its claims and added that “no weapons were used” and ‘‘all occupants in the embassy were treated with dignity and necessary caution.”

The group posted its first online missive in March 2017, uploading a video of Kim Jong Un’s nephew Kim Han Sol along with a QR Code for cryptocurrency donations. Free Joseon is believed to be protecting Kim Han Sol -- the son of Kim Jong Nam, the leader’s assassinated half-brother -- South Korea’s Yonhap News has reported.