Kim Hak-chol
{{Short description|North Korean diplomat}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Kim Hak Chol (cropped).jpg
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = North Korea
| other_names =
| occupation = Diplomat
| module = {{infobox Korean name|child=yes
| context = north
| hangul = 김학철
| hanja = {{linktext|金|学|哲}}{{Cite news |title=駐ペルー北朝鮮大使「火に油」 国外退去命令に反発 |url=https://jp.yna.co.kr/view/AJP20170913000900882 |date=2017-09-13 |work=Yonhap News Agency}}
| rr = Gim Hakcheol
| mr = Kim Hakch'ŏl
}}}}
Kim Hak-chol ({{langx|ko|김학철}}) is a North Korean diplomat. A member of the 12th Supreme People's Assembly, he served as ambassador of his country to Peru from 2013 until his designation as persona non grata on September 11, 2017, in response to a series of nuclear tests earlier that month.
Biography
Believed to have a military background,{{Cite news |title=북한, 페루 대사에 '군 출신' 김학철 임명 |url=https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0101_201310232104475721 |date=2013-10-23 |work=YTN}} he worked in North Korea's embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1968. He was elected as a delegate to the 12th Supreme People's Assembly in 2009.
In October 2013, he was named as ambassador to Peru, presenting his credentials to then president Ollanta Humala on November 8 of the same year.{{Cite news |title=Mandatario recibió cartas credenciales de embajadores de Corea y Ecuador |url=https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-mandatario-recibio-cartas-credenciales-embajadores-corea-y-ecuador-481797.aspx |date=2013-11-08 |work=Andina}} In 2015, he became accredited to Brazil, presenting his credentials on November 3.{{Cite news |title=Dilma deve receber credencial do embaixador da Indonésia recusada em fevereiro |url=https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultimas-noticias/agencia-estado/2015/11/03/dilma-deve-receber-credencial-do-embaixador-da-indonesia-recusada-em-fevereiro.htm |date=2015-11-03 |work=UOL}} In September 2017, he was declared a persona non grata by the Peruvian government and given a five-day period to leave the country.{{Cite news |title=Perú expulsa al embajador de Corea del Norte |url=https://www.europapress.es/internacional/noticia-peru-expulsa-embajador-corea-norte-20170911232805.html |date=2017-09-11 |work=Europa Press}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ue1c5KDmjI |title=Perú declara persona no grata al embajador de Corea del Norte y le pide que abandone el país |date=2017-09-12 |language=es |publisher=24 Horas |trans-title=Peru declares the North Korean ambassador persona non grata and asks him to leave the country}} Prior to leaving the embassy, he held a press conference where he protested the measure.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-Bbit5eGIY |title=El embajador de Corea del Norte en Perú protestó por su expulsión |date=2017-09-13 |language=es |publisher=Milenio |trans-title=The North Korean ambassador to Peru protested his expulsion}}{{Cite news |title=Embajador de Corea del Norte protesta por la decisión del Perú de expulsarlo |url=https://elcomercio.pe/politica/embajador-corea-norte-protesta-decision-peru-expulsarlo-noticia-457616-noticia/ |last=Mejía Huaraca |first=Mario |date=2017-09-13 |work=El Comercio}} Subsequently, the first and third secretaries of the embassy—Pak Myong Chol and Ji Hyok, respectively—were also given the same treatment on December 22,{{Cite news |title=Gobierno expulsa diplomáticos de la República Popular Democrática de Corea |url=https://www.gob.pe/institucion/rree/noticias/4595-gobierno-expulsa-diplomaticos-de-la-republica-popular-democratica-de-corea |date=2017-12-22 |work=Gob.pe}} after which they were accused of plotting to attack the families of the diplomatic staff of the U.S. Embassy in Lima, even suggesting their assassination.{{Cite news |title=Diplomáticos de Corea del Norte planificaron asesinar a familiares de funcionarios estadounidenses en Perú |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2018/01/13/diplomaticos-de-corea-del-norte-planificaron-asesinar-a-familiares-de-funcionarios-estadounidenses-en-peru/ |date=2018-01-15 |work=Infobae}}{{Cite news |title=Diplomáticos norcoreanos habrían planeado atacar a familias de funcionarios de EE.UU. |url=https://elcomercio.pe/politica/diplomaticos-corea-norte-habrian-planeado-atacar-familias-funcionarios-ee-uu-noticia-489117-noticia/ |date=2018-01-15 |work=El Comercio}}