Alejandro Cao de Benós de Les y Pérez is a Spanishpolitical activist with close relations with North Korea. He is a Special Representative of the Foreign Ministry of North Korea. He is, according to himself, also the Special Delegate of North Korea's Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. He is also the founder, president, and only salaried member of the Korean Friendship Association. All official government and ministerial sites of North Korea have the.kp domain and, given the WHOIS record for KFA's website points towards it being the personally owned domain of Cao de Benós, there is doubt about its claim to be the "official web page of DPR of Korea" and thus Cao de Benós's claims of his actual status in North Korea's hierarchy. He has been an advocate of North Korea since 1990. His Korean name, Cho Son-il, is self-given but not a legal name as he travels using his Spanish passport. He is an honorary member of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and the Korean People's Army. He has lived in Tarragona and Barcelona, working as an IT consultant. On 14 June 2016, he was arrested by the Spanish Guardia Civil in Tarragona for arms trafficking.
Family origins
Cao de Benós comes from a Spanish noble family. His paternal ancestors were the barons of Les, marquesses of Rosalmonte and counts of Arjelejo, Grandees belonging to the highest-ranking members of the Spanish nobility, who were linked for centuries to the Spanish Army and Navy. Many of them were defenders of Carlism and Francoism. Although Cao de Benós's grandfather was born rich, he lost his inheritance and ended up working as a guard for Repsol-Butano.
Korean Friendship Association activities
Cao de Benós founded the Korean Friendship Association in 2000, purchasing and establishing his privately owned domain name which whilst claiming to be officially sanctioned is privately owned and registered in his name. It includes a media section and a web-shop where badges, North Korean music and other items can be bought online. Goods purchased are sent from Spain. When asked about Kim Jong-un in 2009 he answered that he never heard of him and told that the story about Kim Jong-un being the heir of Kim Jong-il is made up by South Korean intelligence. Cao de Benós has regularly visited Pyongyang, assisting with press pass application and acting as a translator for the foreign press and helping to schedule business meetings. Cao de Benós acts for a commission as an intermediary in such meetings and in line with having no official paid employment is not paid any base salary. He has written numerous articles on matters relating to the political situation in the Korean Peninsula, dissemination of state propaganda as well as giving press interviews. Cao de Benós is one of the few foreigners to claim to follow the North Korean party line; he continues as president of his company the Korean Friendship Association. Cao de Benós is featured in the documentaries Friends of Kim and The Propaganda Game.
Pyongyang Cafe
In July 2016, Cao de Benós founded a bar called Pyongyang Cafe in Tarragona, which is decorated with North Korean propaganda posters and features regular talks on subjects such as tourism. The café closed to the public in March 2017 and became a members-only establishment for KFA members.
Criticism
Cao de Benós has also received widespread criticism from the Western press for, among other things, trying to restrict the freedom of expression of journalists from outside countries. He has expelled members of the "Association of Friendship with Korea" for "disrespect". He has also been accused of threatening and intimidating journalists critical of North Korea. When Andrew Morse of ABC News visited the country in 2004, invited by the Association, he was accused of using sensationalist language to describe Kochang farm cooperatives. Once in Pyongyang, Cao de Benós broke into and searched through Morse's hotel room, confiscated his tapes, damaged his laptop and forced him to sign an apologetic letter in order to leave the country. Whilst he is authorized to "promote and develop cultural relations," Cao de Benós has been criticized for presenting himself as a North Korean government employee and KFA as an official North Korean entity, neither of which are true. Cao de Benós has been criticized for charging over twice as much as similar tour organizers to bring filmmakers, artists and tourists to the country. In exchange for these higher prices, he promises exclusive access, although the attractions on his itinerary are comparable to those on any other tour. Furthermore, Cao de Benós has historically failed to secure permits and permissions for even standard, relatively highly-accessible attractions.
