Son Kwang-ho, North Korean Sports Vice Minister Who Greeted Dennis Rodman, Arrested for Foreign Currency Embezzlement
- He Led the North Korean Delegation to the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon
SAND Institute English Newsletter Team
Son Kwang-ho, a key figure in North Korean sports under Kim Jong-un and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports, has been arrested for embezzling foreign currency. He played a major role in North-South sports exchanges, welcoming Dennis Rodman at Pyongyang’s Sunan Airport in 2013 and 2017, and leading North Korea’s delegation to the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.
A North Korean video shows Son Kwang-ho (left), former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports,
and Ri Chun-ok (right), the ministry’s finance chief, being punished for foreign currency embezzlement.
/ SAND Institute English Newsletter Team
The SAND Institute’s English Newsletter team recently obtained educational videos produced for North Korean citizens between 2021 and 2022. These videos show that Son Kwang-ho was severely punished for embezzling a significant amount of foreign currency between 2013 and 2017.
One part of the video displays a photo of Son with a shaved head, wearing prison clothes.
The video explains how Son Kwang-ho, as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports and Director of the Overseas Business Department, turned a blind eye to the embezzlement by Ri Chun-ok, the department’s finance chief. It reveals that Son, tempted by the foreign currency and goods Ri provided, allowed the illegal activities to continue.
Son Kwang-ho (circled in red), Vice Minister of North Korea’s Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports, greets former
NBA player Dennis Rodman at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport during his 2013 visit. / AP Newsis
The video further states that, with Son’s deliberate silence, Ri Chun-ok was able to embezzle foreign currency more than 70 times between October 2013 and October 2017.
The video also discloses a report from October 2017 regarding foreign currency expenses. The document details the number of athletes and travel expenses for North Korea’s participation in an archery competition in Denmark in July 2015, leading to suspicions that Son and Ri embezzled funds meant for the athletes’ travel.
In the video, a North Korean announcer harshly criticized the misuse of authority by officials, accusing them of damaging the people’s trust in the Party and hindering the development of the socialist state through their corrupt practices.
Despite his current downfall, Son had been a key figure in North Korea’s sports world under Kim Jong-un. He is seen in the video greeting Dennis Rodman during the former NBA star’s visit to Pyongyang in June 2017.
Son also participated in the signing of a North Korea-China sports exchange agreement in December 2014 alongside Chinese Ambassador Liu Hongcai.
Son Kwang-ho (left) as Secretary General of North Korea’s Olympic Committee, shakes hands with South Korean
officials at Panmunjom’s Peace House in July 2014, during talks about sending North Korean athletes and
supporters to the Incheon Asian Games. / Ministry of Unification
Son played a key role in inter-Korean sports exchanges, serving as Secretary General for North Korea during discussions for the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. A former national football player, Son followed in the footsteps of his father, Son Kil-cheon, who also served as Secretary General of the North Korean Olympic Committee in the 1970s.
Son was also part of the North Korean delegation for the 2003 Daegu Universiade and led negotiations for a joint North-South Olympic team in 2005. He was known for his easy-going personality and active role in the North Korean sports community, appearing frequently in the media while welcoming foreign sports officials.
Son greeted Dennis Rodman twice at Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport during Rodman’s visits in 2013 and 2017. He also represented North Korea at the 2015 ANOC General Assembly in Washington as the Vice Minister of Physical Culture and Sports.
Corruption, a deep-rooted issue in North Korea’s sports sector, appears to have finally caught up with Son Kwang-ho, despite his high-ranking position.
A former senior official in charge of judicial and prosecutorial affairs in North Korean Workers' Party said, "Embezzling foreign currency is considered treason," and added, "He was likely sentenced to life imprisonment."