Yi Han-yong

Yi Han-yeong (; 2 April 1960 – 25 February 1997), birth name Ri Il-nam , was a North Korean defector who was the nephew of the country's leader, Kim Jong Il. After his defection in 1982, he went into hiding for a number of years, before going public in support of Seong Hye-rim, his aunt and Kim's mistress or wife, and wrote a book about his experiences in exile, after which he was murdered by unknown assailants.

Early life Yi's mother, Seong Hye-rang, raised Kim Jong Il's and her younger sister Hye-rim's son Kim Jong-nam alongside Yi and Yi's sister Nam-ok at a secluded villa outside of Pyongyang in order to keep Jong-nam's parentage a secret from Kim Il Sung. Song Hye-rim is described as the former wife of Kim Jong Il, though it is unclear whether they were actually married.

Yi went abroad to Moscow for a university education, and then defected to South Korea in 1982 while studying at a language school in Switzerland.

His defection in 1982 had been kept secret due to his connections. He underwent plastic surgery and changed his name to conceal his identity. His identity was revealed when he had told newspapers he was financially supporting his aunt's defection who was in Moscow.

Life in South Korea His life in the South was troubled. He first studied drama at Hanyang University, and married in 1988; however, in March 1993, a construction company he started went bankrupt, and he was jailed for 10 months on charges of embezzlement.

Publications

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