Choe Deok-geun

Choe Deok-geun (; 2 November 1942 – 1 October 1996), also spelled Choi Duck-keun or Choi Duk-gun, was a South Korean consular official for the Russian Far East who was believed to have been assassinated by poison in October 1996.

Biography Choe was born in Songtan, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggido, South Korea. He studied the Russian language at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Choe's diplomatic work officially involved him acting as a consul of arts and culture, though it was later reported he was investigating counterfeiting and drug trafficking by North Koreans.

Assassination Choe's body was discovered in the stairwell of an apartment complex housing other Korean nationals and diplomats. Blood was discovered from the 6th floor all the way down to the 3rd. The injection is believed to have contained neostigmine bromide.

It emerged soon after that he had poison in his bloodstream of the same type as that carried by a North Korean submarine which had infiltrated South Korean waters and landed near Gangneung, Gangwon the previous month; North Korea had threatened to retaliate for the killings of their special forces agents by the South Korean Army. North Korea denied all involvement and accused the South of fabricating evidence in order to frame the North. Some news reports at the time suggested that the North Koreans had hired a Russian Mafia hitman to actually carry out the murder.

Two or three assailants participated in the murder.

Aftermath Russia's two year long investigation concluded Choe was killed in an act of random violence. The South Korean government maintains its disagreement with this conclusion.

As a result of his death, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade allegedly instructed their personnel to refrain from contacting with or providing assistance to North Koreans in Russia, even refugees, for fear that they too could be murdered. Some analysts believe that the North Korean government chose to delay announcing their 24 August arrest and detention of American citizen Evan Hunziker until around the time of Choe's murder in an attempt to divert attention.

In 2011, the government requested Russia open a renewed investigation into the killing.

No murderer has ever been accused in Choe's death.