{"id":19586,"date":"2024-11-29T08:46:23","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T08:46:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=19586"},"modified":"2024-11-29T08:46:23","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T08:46:23","slug":"man-arrested-for-posing-as-nephew-of-n-korean-foreign-minister-in-nationwide-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=19586","title":{"rendered":"Man arrested for posing as nephew of N. Korean foreign minister in nationwide scam"},"content":{"rendered":"
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North Korea\u2019s Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Oct. 29, 2024, that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui departed Pyongyang for an official visit to Russia the day before and that she was seen off from Pyongyang International Airport by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong Gyu and Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora. (Rodong Sinmun, News1)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

A man in his 30s was recently arrested by the Ministry of State Security for scamming people out of money by pretending to be North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui\u2019s nephew.<\/span><\/p>\n

A source in Ryanggang province said Wednesday that the man \u2014 a native of Sariwon, North Hwanghae province and a graduate of the Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies who was identified by his family name of Choe \u2014 is undergoing questioning in confinement after being arrested by the Ministry of State Security\u2019s Samjiyon branch on Nov. 8.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Choe orchestrated his scam by exploiting his shared surname with the foreign minister, presenting himself to wealthy individuals as both the minister\u2019s nephew and a human resources official at the foreign ministry. He promised to help their children secure university admissions and government positions in exchange for bribes, ultimately amassing around $60,000 over the course of a year.<\/p>\n

His method was straightforward but effective: dressed in expensive suits, he would cultivate relationships with officials and wealthy individuals through lavish spending, using proceeds from his previous schemes to fund his lifestyle. He even hired officials\u2019 drivers to chauffeur him around the provinces, allowing him to expand his operation nationwide while maintaining an air of legitimacy.<\/p>\n

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\u201cChoi largely carried out his scams in Pyongyang, the border regions of North Hamgyong and Ryanggang provinces, and South Hamgyong province,\u201d the source said. \u201cHe made money by meeting and deceiving wealthy and powerful people in these places until he was caught.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When his victims began demanding results, Choe would simply disappear and resurface in a different region. Eventually, several frustrated victims investigated his background and uncovered his true identity as a con artist.<\/p>\n

Choe then relocated his operation to Samjiyon in Ryanggang province, continuing his scheme with the same tactics. However, his luck ran out when the Ministry of State Security arrested him after receiving reports from another region where he had operated.<\/p>\n

The ministry\u2019s involvement was triggered by Choe\u2019s activities in border regions like Ryanggang and the Hamgyong provinces, far from his registered residence. Authorities suspected he might have made illegal crossings into China, warranting their intervention.<\/p>\n

According to the source Choe\u2019s year-long spree of nationwide fraud was made possible by his impersonation of Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui\u2019s nephew. The Ministry of State Security believes victims were reluctant to report him, fearing that his supposed powerful connections would not only protect him from punishment but could also lead to retaliation against them.<\/p>\n

The ministry plans to transfer Choe from Ryanggang province to his hometown of Sariwon in North Hwanghae province for further proceedings.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe investigation extends beyond Choe himself to include the associates who helped establish his credibility,\u201d the source said. \u201cHe is certain to face severe punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.<\/em><\/p>\n

Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read in Korean<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Source: <\/em> politics.einnews.com\u2026<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North Korea\u2019s Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Oct. 29, 2024, that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui departed Pyongyang for an official visit to Russia the day before and that she was seen off from Pyongyang International Airport by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong Gyu and Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora. (Rodong […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19586\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}