Lee Young-guk

Lee Young-guk served as a member of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il’s security detail from 1978 to 1988. He went on to serve as a military advisor until his escape to China in 1994.

After reaching China, Young-guk was arrested and brought to the North Korean embassy in Beijing, where he was tortured before being repatriated and sent to a labor camp. Detained for five years, he finally escaped in 2002.

Intervention: GS16

Speeches

North Korea

Bodyguard to the North Korean Regime with Lee Young-guk

Lee Young-guk, bodyguard to former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il, addresses the 8th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the luxurious life of the Kim dynasty: “These North Korean dictators have been passing down power for three generations and