Korean Friendship Association
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Thus far their main achievement appears to be the construction of a website — using the latest in 1990s web design techniques (recently updated to a more modern web design style) trying to prove North Korea is a really great place to live. They present a bizarre version of the world in which North Korea is a bastion of "peace, friendship, and independence," and the unfortunate victim of imperialistic conspiracies to prevent the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula.[2] The line taken by the KFA is pretty much what one would expect to hear from any DPRK government agency.
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[edit] Leadership
The founder and current president of the KFA is a Spanish man named Alejandro Cao de Benos de Les y Pérez, who was born in an aristocratic family and enjoys dressing in military uniforms and posing for pictures with North Koreans.[3] The president is also unique in being the first foreigner to work in an official capacity for the government of the DPRK, and is a holder of the much coveted "Friendship Medal" — awarded to him by Kim Jong Il.
[edit] Activities
The group seeks to "aid" the process of reunification, primarily by helping the world realise that the DPRK is actually a nice country and that Kim Jong-un is not so much a deranged despot — more a benevolent and wise leader. They organise trips to North Korea, for tourism and business reasons. The gallery on the site shows photos of their many trips to the dear leader's communist paradise — many of which would be quite funny if they were not glossing everything else about the regime. Although the militaristic elements of the regime are not ignored, there's certainly scant mention of the widespread starvation and oppression of most North Koreans.
The group also leads activities in Western countries to protest the "unfair" treatment of the DPRK. The images of these protests would suggest that the KFA has more banners and flags than actual members.[4]
[edit] Surely this is a parody?
Unfortunately, no. While some may flirt with Marxism during their college years (it's even harder to find honest-to-god supporters of Juche), the KFA appears to be made up of those who didn't manage to grow out of such things.[5] The KFA has been referenced in press releases from the DPRK, so assuming that Kim Jong Il wasn't a master parodist, it must be concluded that group is for real. Whether the KFA is aware of the less pleasant side of North Korea is unclear, but certainly the standard practice in North Korea is to ensure that tourists are steered away from parts of the country that the dear leader does not wish them to see.[6]
One North Korean expert believes that the fanboys are simply critics of US domestic and foreign policy, but to the extent that they're willing to "join their enemy’s enemy."[7]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- USA chapter of the Korea Friendship Association (KFAUSA)
- Citizen Smith, IMDB - Life sometimes imitates art.
- Promotional web video for the Korean Friendship Association's package tours of North Korea
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ Foundation of the Korean Friendship Association
- ↑ Their take on the reasons why reunification hasn't happened.
- ↑ Meet North Korea's European envoy, Alejandro Cao de Benos, The Week (Ladies love a man in uniform, particularly when the alternative is a forced labour camp.)
- ↑ The mighty KFA protest against Western imperialism!
- ↑ Meet the Western Members of the Kim Jong Il Fan Club, TIME
- ↑ What's It Like to Be a Tourist in North Korea?, Foreign Policy
- ↑ The Westerners Who Love North Korea, The Diplomat