BARCELONA – What can we find out about North Korea? A frontrunner who feeds his brother-in-law to canines? A ‘loopy’ administration ready to assault with its missiles? A robotized society?
What we all know possibly proper, possibly fallacious. However how can we be taught what we find out about this nation, whose actual identify is the Democratic Individuals’s Republic of Korea (KDHC), which we now have already forgotten? By way of which information channels does the data earlier than us attain us? The truth is, the restricted data on DPRK confuses speculative information with factual information.
Meet Alejandro Cao de Benos, President of the Korean Friendship Affiliation. He’s a particular officer of the North Korean Ministry of International Affairs. De Benos, who additionally served within the Spanish military for a short while, is sometimes called ‘North Korea’s sole official consultant within the West’. The identify of Benos, who comes from a noble household of Tarragona within the autonomous area of Catalonia, Spain, got here to the fore with the search made by the FBI. The reason being to pierce the sanctions imposed on the Pyongyang administration…
We talked to Benos about each North Korea’s viewpoint and his personal story. Benos, who stated that what occurred within the nation was misplaced in a critical data air pollution, requested him on occasion, “Do they eat infants in North Korea?” He said that such absurd questions have been requested. The Catalan consultant argued that Pyongyang “might by no means be invaded by an imperialist energy as a consequence of its missile techniques, and it is a line that must be taken for example”.
‘MEDIA TURNS LESS INFORMATION INTO PROFITS WITH SENSATION’
You have got lengthy been recognized on your relations with DPRK. What’s the motive on your curiosity? Why and the way did you get entangled with Pyongyang?
My first contact with the Democratic Individuals’s Republic of Korea was within the Nineties once I was 16. At the moment I used to be finding out politics and philosophy. Particularly Asian international locations intrigued me. I knew that North Korean households lived in Madrid. They resided right here as a consequence of affiliation with the World Tourism Group headquartered in Madrid. So I made a decision to go to them on September 9, the anniversary of their nation’s founding.
After this preliminary contact, they started to develop their tradition and particularly Juche in North Korea.one I used to be amazed by the socialist improvement that went together with the concept of After studying many books on the topic, someday on September 9, I made a decision to arrange the Pals of North Korea affiliation, which later turned official. In brief, this relationship was due to my curiosity and fervour for the cultures of the Far East and socialist improvement in North Korea.
‘95% OF THE NEWS IN THE WESTERN MEDIA ARE LIE’
On the subject of KDHC, there may be one factor we will not assist however discuss: the information within the media. Certainly, we learn ‘loopy’ information from one another. Is that this nation actually a ‘loopy’ place or are we dealing with a critical wave of disinformation? What brings such information to us?
Maybe 95 p.c of the information about North Korea within the Western media is totally false. There are two causes for this: The primary is populism and sensationalism. Many media retailers flip the lack of expertise in regards to the nation into a possibility to make a revenue. Since it’s an ‘data black gap’, the media creates unimaginable, surreal information and on this manner attracts the reader. In fact, this implies a critical revenue.
The second motive is political. Most of those media retailers are owned by massive firms, enterprise individuals, and governments with a political calendar. In fact, these persons are not enthusiastic about giving voice to another socialist system (as in North Korea). Due to this fact, they care about sustaining their hegemonic positions each of their nation and in the remainder of the world.
That is the explanation why anybody dwelling in any western nation is aware of virtually nothing about North Korea. That is unhappy as a result of there may be an curiosity on this nation. I feel individuals have a proper to have extra goal details about North Korea.
‘ARE PEOPLE EXECUTED WITH ROKETS?’
As such, the necessity to find out about what’s going on within the nation can be rising. Contemplating that you’re the president of the Pals of Korea Affiliation, you might be in all probability confronted with many various, generally even unusual, questions. What do individuals ask you? What do you surprise?
Certainly, I’m confronted with completely different sorts of questions. Typically, individuals wish to know in regards to the each day lifetime of the typical North Korean citizen. Many of the unusual questions come up from imperialist propaganda. For instance, a query like “Does the federal government execute individuals with anti-aircraft or mortar shells?”… Anybody with roughly navy acumen or only a tiny little bit of logic will discover that absurd. Such issues don’t occur, there is no such thing as a knowledge or video to show it. There aren’t any public executions in North Korea. But due to the propaganda bombardment, persons are continuously asking me about these executions. Generally he even asks, “Is there cannibalism in North Korea? Do they eat youngsters?” I additionally hear issues like…
I remorse that individuals consider such issues due to this propaganda broadcast by most information retailers. Nonetheless, these questions are honest, and folks appear to have a critical curiosity and curiosity about North Korea. Once they journey to this nation, they see that what they heard shouldn’t be true, and a brand new world abruptly seems earlier than them. I feel one of the best ways to beat doubts is to speak to the nation’s personal residents.
‘DISCLOSED’
Properly, let’s speak a bit bit about North Korea itself. Right now we’re speaking a couple of very lonely nation within the worldwide sense. The Pyongyang administration is dealing with US sanctions in numerous fields. What sort of North Korea would we be speaking about right this moment if these sanctions weren’t there? How does the response created by this strain take form?
The nation most affected by the sanctions on the planet is the Republic of North Korea. In the course of the existence of the Soviet Union, it had industrial relations with socialist international locations. Throughout this era, the Republic of North Korea was one of many international locations that exported probably the most and imported the least. It was a extremely developed and wealthy interval. In any case, though it’s a small nation, it has plenty of underground wealth and a very good business.
North Korea might turn into a a lot richer place if the US and European sanctions at the moment imposed at Washington’s behest are lifted as a result of they can not at the moment export or import any merchandise. North Korea was pressured into isolation. Nonetheless, he tailored. Nonetheless, their lack of ability to take part in commerce additionally makes it troublesome for the event of socialism within the nation. If the sanctions aren’t applied – at worst even a few of them – their economies will even develop severely. A technique or one other, North Korea continues to be going its personal manner and won’t kneel earlier than Washington, even with the top of extra sanctions.
Do you suppose North Korea has one thing to be envied by governments of different international locations?
The benefit of DPRK is, initially, that it’s a individuals’s union. It’s not only a robust political concept that unites residents like a household and the chief assumes the function of ‘father’. It additionally means self-sufficiency. It’s aimed that the wealth that comes from all the pieces produced within the nation, from mines and fields to the ultimate product, doesn’t go to different international locations.
This additionally applies to navy sovereignty. They’ve intercontinental missiles that may attain 18,000 kilometers, thermonuclear weapons, and a hydrogen bomb able to responding to any menace, even in warfare. These threats from the USA nonetheless proceed… A nuclear energy nation can’t be invaded by imperialist international locations just like the USA. This permits North Korea to develop its personal infrastructure and business. As a result of it’s going to by no means be bombed or looted by different international locations that wish to destroy North Korea. Sovereignty in manufacturing and nationwide protection may be an instance for a lot of growing international locations.
‘RUSSIA AND CHINA CONSENT TO SANCTIONS UNTIL YESTERDAY’
Right now, we’re confronted with a really tense world agenda. There are feedback comparable to ‘Some navy strikes of Pyongyang may additionally be part of this rigidity’. Do you suppose North Korea can play an vital function within the occasion of a attainable ‘third world warfare’ – which now appears extra real looking than earlier than?
I do not suppose there might be a 3rd world warfare. As a result of a lot of the actors within the Ukraine-Russia battle aren’t enthusiastic about such a warfare that may burn them an excessive amount of. A nuclear warfare will severely have an effect on all the world inhabitants, particularly meals merchandise which are much less widespread each day. As well as, there’s a nice enhance in meals merchandise within the worldwide market. I do not suppose this situation will occur within the quick time period, and I do not suppose will probably be motivated by the Ukraine-Russia battle.
In any case, DPRK advantages from the break with Russia and China from the hegemonic and globalist capital system. Till now, Russia and China have been a industrial duo within the worldwide market, which the US managed and at all times made extra revenue. With the current conflicts between China-Taiwan and Russia-Ukraine, the formation of a brand new curiosity bloc will even profit North Korea. In any case, they share borders with these two large international locations. And these two powers will put much less strain and sanctions on North Korea as up to now. Let’s not neglect that a lot of the sanctions imposed on North Korea by the USA have been performed with the approval vote of Russia and China. Now that is altering. The proposal to impose new sanctions was vetoed by Moscow and Beijing. There’s a window opened by this bloc to confront US imperialism on a global and industrial stage.
INTERPOL RED ALARM
Lastly, I wish to ask in regards to the FBI concern. There’s an arrest warrant issued by the US authorities about you. Why is your identify talked about with accusations of ‘serving to to interrupt sanctions’, ‘offering cryptocurrencies’ and ‘taking blockchain know-how to Pyongyang’?
The arrest warrant in opposition to me is totally absurd. To begin with, there is no such thing as a proof or knowledge in opposition to me. Secondly, this legislation utilized to me solely applies to the USA and its residents. In keeping with the FBI, this order is being enforced as a result of there is a prosecutor in New York who says I’ve taken the companies of a US citizen with out permission. This isn’t true. US citizen Virgil Griffith2attended a convention on blockchain and cryptocurrency in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. He went voluntarily and personally paid for his journey. There was by no means a contract to offer companies with him. She traveled as a self-responsible grownup. North Korea was giving visas to those that needed to attend this convention. He additionally spoke freely by attending this convention. Nobody gave him instructions on what to say. Nonetheless, when he returned to his nation, he confronted many issues because of the legal guidelines within the USA. Specifically, the presidential order, which stated that particular permission must be requested to attend this convention, triggered issues.
I feel it is undoubtedly a political case, they do not apply European Union or Spanish legislation. They accuse me of requesting companies from this particular person. This can be a baseless, baseless declare. Whereas I used to be right here, at all times obtainable, they issued a warrant for my arrest and detention. I attend conferences in public locations, universities, inns or numerous facilities. The Spanish authorities are additionally conscious of my eligibility. However there may be political strain for the investigation as a result of this legislation doesn’t apply in Spain. Attributable to the truth that the service claims I’ve requested from this particular person are false and the proof state of affairs. I do not suppose this case will evolve into something, however my work overseas is being interfered with as a result of the FBI has raised a purple Interpol alert about me. As of now, my legal professionals are coping with this concern.
oneAn interpretation of Marxism with native parts of DPRK.
2Programmer, former developer of Ethereum, a cryptocurrency. Attributable to these fees, Griffith was sentenced to 63 months in jail within the USA in April 2022.