Choe Deok-geun
South Korean diplomat
Choe Deok-geun (Korean: 최덕근; 2 November 1942 – 1 October 1996), also spelled Choi Duck-keun or Choi Duk-gun, was a South Korean consular official for the Russian Far East who was believed to have been assassinated by poison in October 1996.
Biography
Choe was born in Songtan, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggido, South Korea. He studied the Russian language at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. In 1985, he passed the Korean civil service exam. In February of 1993, Choe was appointed to the Ukrainian embassy in Korea. By December 1995, he was dispatched to Vladivostok to be the Consulate General.
Vladivostok was a popular destination for North Koreans working for or fleeing their government. The DPRK had a consulate in nearby Nakhodka. Choe's diplomatic work officially involved him acting as a consul of arts and culture, though it was later reported he was investigating counterfeiting and drug trafficking by North Koreans.
Assassination
Choe's body was discovered in the stairwell of an apartment complex housing other Korean nationals and diplomats.
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