North Korea’s Propaganda: Alejandro Cao de Benós
The CCD continues its series of reports on North Korean propaganda. Another key figure in North Korean propaganda is Alejandro Cao de Benós, president of the Korean Friendship Association (KFA), diplomat and IT specialist.
Alejandro Cao de Benós was born and raised in Spain. Despite his aristocratic background, he became interested in the ideas of communism in his youth. He visited Pyongyang for the first time in 1994, and in 2000 he founded the Korean Friendship Association, which promotes “cultural ties” with the DPRK, and now includes representatives from dozens of countries.
The KFA organizes tourist trips to the DPRK and also collects donations, which have probably become an important source of funding for the North Korean government after the imposition of sanctions.
Cao de Benós has diplomatic status and is the world’s only business lobbyist in the DPRK. He actively gives comments to the media in which he defends the DPRK regime and promotes its policies.
In 2022, the United States issued an arrest warrant for Alejandro Cao de Benós for his involvement in organizing cryptocurrency conferences for North Korea. He is accused of helping Pyongyang circumvent international sanctions through blockchain technology.
