Ri Jong-yol[a] (Korean: 리정렬; born in 1998) is a North Korean defector and child prodigy of mathematics. After competing in the 2016 International Mathematical Olympiad in Hong Kong, he made his way to the city's South Korean consulate general, where he sought refuge for two months. Chinese authorities eventually allowed him to leave Hong Kong on a flight to Seoul. He legally changed his name to Lee Jung-ho (이정호) after receiving South Korean citizenship.
Ri Jong-yol | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1998 (age 25–26) Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, North Korea |
| Other names | Lee Jung-ho |
| Citizenship |
|
| Education | |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Korean name | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 리정렬 |
| Revised Romanization | Ri Jeong-ryeol |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ri Chŏngryŏl |
| Adopted name | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 이정호 |
| Revised Romanization | I Jeong-ho |
| McCune–Reischauer | I Chŏngho |
Early life
editRi Jong-yol was born in 1998 to an academic family in Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, North Korea. A child prodigy, he had a mastery of the entire elementary-school mathematics curriculum by the time he entered first grade at the age of seven. After winning a national mathematics competition in middle school, Ri was placed in a high school for gifted children.[1]
He won silver in the 2013, 2014, and 2015 editions of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). The 2013 IMO was his first, and he was noted for winning silver at his debut international event and for being the youngest member of the North Korean team at the time. Upon returning home from the 2015 IMO, Ri was informed by an acquaintance who worked for the Workers' Party of Korea that senior government figures had been interviewing his friends and family. He suspected that the government was planning to recruit him into a secretive military career after his high school graduation; Ri was seen as a prime candidate for North Korea's elite hacking team. Ri's suspicions led to his decision to defect. He planned to do so at the 2016 IMO, the last one he could attend per IMO rules, as he was about to turn eighteen.[1][2]
Defection
editRi defected immediately after winning silver at the 2016 IMO, which was held at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) from 6 to 16 July.[1][3] The day after the competition, he left the university campus by himself and took a taxi to Hong Kong International Airport, hoping to meet South Koreans who could aid in his defection. At the airport, he approached the staff of a South Korean airline and spoke to their manager, who called the South Korean consulate general in Hong Kong. The consulate staff informed Ri that he had to make his way to them on his own, as diplomats are forbidden from helping citizens of any country enter foreign missions. Ri subsequently took a taxi to the Far East Finance Centre, which houses the consulate.[3][4]
Ri lived in a small room inside the consulate for two months before the Chinese government permitted him to fly out of Hong Kong to Seoul. He reportedly spoke little to consulate staff in the first month but eventually got to know them. He passed the time by playing computer games and exercising on a treadmill. In late September 2016, Ri obtained a South Korean passport and a Hong Kong tourist visa, allowing him to leave the consulate as a South Korean visitor. Strained relations between China and North Korea at the time were cited as a possible reason for the former allowing Ri's departure. The Chinese government did not officially comment on Ri's defection.[4][5]
Security was tightened in the consulate and around the Far East Finance Centre following Ri's defection. The consulate required visitors to clearly state the reason of their visit, pass through a door-frame metal detector, and have security guards check their belongings. The Hong Kong Police Force posted plainclothes officers at every entrance to and exit from the building, including doorways in the elevator lobby and parking lot.[3]
Aftermath
editRi's defection prompted North Korea to not send delegations to the IMO for two years. When the government resumed its IMO program, it began sending a government agent to accompany the team abroad.[1]
In a 2019 interview, Ri denied a story reported in 2017 by the South China Morning Post, which claimed that his father encouraged his defection. Ri stated he planned his defection alone without informing his family members.[6]
Since defecting
editRi attended South Korean language and culture classes after arriving in Seoul.[4] He attended Seoul National University and Seoul Science High School, working briefly as a researcher for the former. In a 2019 interview, he expressed his desire to obtain a scholarship to study abroad in the United States.[6]
Ri legally changed his name to Lee Jung-ho after obtaining South Korean citizenship.[6]
Personal life
editRi is 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm) tall. He enjoys playing volleyball and ping-pong.[6]
Notes
edit- ^ Also romanized as Ri Jong Yol or Jong Yol Ri (Western naming order), and erroneously by some news reports as Jong Yol-ri.
References
edit- ^ a b c d Caesar, Ed (19 April 2021). "The Incredible Rise of North Korea's Hacking Army". The New Yorker. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ Harrison, Bruce (8 December 2017). "How North Korea recruits its army of young hackers". NBC News. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "Young North Korean defector left for South Korea after an 80-day stay in Hong Kong". FactWire. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2024 – via Hong Kong Free Press.
- ^ a b c Huang, Kristin (26 February 2017). "How North Korean maths-whizz defector escaped through Hong Kong". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Padden, Brian (2 August 2016). "Most North Korean Defectors Avoid Seeking Asylum in China". Voice of America. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d Song, Hong-geun (24 August 2019). 수학올림피아드 '북한 천재' 리정렬, 서울대생 되다 [Mathematics Olympiad 'North Korean genius' Ri Jong-yol becomes Seoul National University student]. The Dong-A Ilbo. Retrieved 9 July 2024.