Kim Seong-min (defector)
Kim Seong-min | |
|---|---|
Kim in 2015 | |
| Born | 1962 Huichon, Chagang Province, North Korea |
| Died | (aged 63) Seoul, South Korea |
| Education | Kim Hyong Jik University of Education |
| Occupations | Activist, Radio Broadcaster |
| Known for | Director of Free North Korea Radio |
| Spouse | Moon Myong-dok |
| Children | 1 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김성민 |
| Hanja | 金聖玟 |
| RR | Gim Seongmin |
| MR | Kim Sŏngmin |
Kim Seong-min (Korean: 김성민; 1962 – 12 September 2025) was a North Korean–born democracy activist who was the director of Free North Korea Radio.
In 1996, while serving as a propaganda writer for the North Korean army, Kim defected and fled to China. He was captured by Chinese authorities, interrogated, and sent back on a train to Pyongyang, where he was to be executed. Kim jumped from the moving train and made it back to China, eventually escaping to South Korea in 1999.
In 2004, Kim helped to establish Free North Korea Radio, which has received awards and recognition from Reporters Without Borders, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, and the Bush administration.