North Korean official in China exposed pretending to be South Korean, reveals true identity as soon as speaking

According to sources, North Korean trade officials sent to mainland China pretend to be South Korean and request not to be treated as North Korean. However, as soon as they speak, their accent and way of speaking reveal their true identity.

Reported by Radio Free Asia, two sources in China told the station that recently it has been discovered that North Korean trade officials sent to China remove the lapel pins of former North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il from their clothes when entering restaurants or leaving official events, pretending to be South Korean.

Although all North Korean officials stationed overseas are required to wear the aforementioned Kim family lapel pins to show their loyalty, a source in Shenyang, China found that local North Korean officials were violating this rule.

The source said, “Last week, I went to a well-known restaurant in Shenyang with a high-ranking executive of a North Korean trading company whom I knew through business. When he arrived at the restaurant, he took off the Kim family lapel pin, put it in his pocket, and asked me not to say that he was North Korean.”

The source also said that the North Korean executive not only asked him not to disclose his North Korean identity but also requested to be introduced as a South Korean to others.

Another source from Yanji City, China told the station that he also witnessed similar behavior from other North Korean officials.

He mentioned that it has become rare to see North Korean officials wearing the Kim family lapel pins recently. They only take off this pin when they leave official events, pretending to be South Korean.

The first source said it is currently unclear why North Korean officials want to conceal their identities. He speculated that this may be because South Koreans are perceived as wealthy in China. When others find out that these officials come from North Korea, one of the poorest countries in the world, they may feel embarrassed.

The second source said that despite pretending to be South Korean, as soon as they speak, their accent and way of speaking reveal that they are from North Korea.

He said that North Korean officials can disguise themselves to look like South Koreans in terms of clothing and hairstyle, but as soon as you speak with them, you will immediately realize they are from North Korea. Moreover, many Chinese people can easily tell the difference.

He said that as the North Korean economy teeters on the brink of collapse, some North Korean officials who have long been stationed in China actually lament their situation to acquaintances in China.

He said, “It’s understandable how North Korean officials feel about not being able to reveal that they are overseas North Koreans.”