How Park Chae-seo Used ‘Aja Communication’ to Bridge South Korean Business and North Korea: A Deep Dive

Intelligence Officer Turns ‘Advertising Entrepreneur’

Park Chae-seo was originally a North Korea operations officer in the Defense Security Command, collecting intelligence on North Korea through third countries. Later, he was specially recruited by the Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP) to handle North Korean operations. He adopted the ‘ride-along operation’ method, which involved infiltrating North Korea by partnering with South Korean businessmen interested in North Korean ventures. During this process, he identified Park Ki-young, a former advertising producer, and decided to utilize his plans for North Korean advertising.

Laundering Identity Through ‘Aza Communication’

In December 1995, Park Chae-seo and Park Ki-young established **Aza Communication, a North Korea-focused advertising agency**. Park Chae-seo disguised himself as the executive director. The company was backed by investors like Jung Jin-ho, who operated Mijin ID, and was registered with the Ministry of Unification as a legitimate North Korean business operator. The ANSP used Aza as a platform for North Korean operations and as a channel to high-ranking North Korean officials.

\”We’ll Let You Film Ads with Mt. Baekdu and Mt. Kumgang as Backdrops\”

In January 1996, Park Chae-seo flew to Beijing to meet with Ri Chol, a North Korean foreign economic agency official (believed to be aligned with Jang Song-thaek). He proposed, \”If North Korea allows South Korean companies to film advertisements at Mt. Baekdu and Mt. Kumgang, it could earn significant revenue.\” This proposal caught the attention of North Korean leadership, desperate for foreign currency. In February 1997, Aza successfully signed a five-year exclusive contract with North Korea’s Mt. Kumgang International Tourism Company for advertising shoots in Pyongyang, Mt. Baekdu, Mt. Kumgang, and Mt. Myohyang.

North Korea Treats ‘Businessman’ Black Venus as a VIP

Following the contract, Park Chae-seo and his team were invited to North Korea and received VIP treatment, staying at facilities reserved for foreign dignitaries such as the Seojaedong Guesthouse on the west coast and Kumgangsan Hotel. They freely toured North Korea, scouting filming locations in Mt. Baekdu, Mt. Kumgang, and Pyongyang. During this process, they were issued internal North Korean travel permits, granting them unprecedented freedom of movement compared to ordinary foreigners. This is considered a highly unusual case of South Korean operatives legally traversing North Korea under an assumed identity.

Claims of Meeting and Recording Kim Jong Il

According to magazine interviews and records, Park Chae-seo reportedly met Kim Jong Il in person, conversed with him, and even recorded their conversation, which he then reported to the ANSP. He developed close relationships with second and third-tier power figures, such as Jang Hyun-chol, son of Korean People’s Army Lieutenant General Jang Sung-u (Kim Jong Il’s brother-in-law), allowing him to penetrate deep into Kim Jong Il’s inner circle. The operation’s goal was not merely business, but gathering top-level intelligence on North Korea’s nuclear development and power structure.

Extracting Evidence of North Korea’s Nuclear Development Completion

Multiple sources claim that Park Chae-seo, while traveling between Pyongyang and China, heard mentions of nuclear development progress and military strategies from North Korean high-ranking officials, which he reported to the ANSP. Based on his intelligence reports, South Korean authorities reportedly assessed that North Korea had largely completed the development of plutonium-based nuclear weapons. A North Korea intelligence source recalled, \”His reports were almost identical to the analysis provided by U.S. intelligence agencies.\”

‘Chongpung and Bukpung’ Scandals Expose the Operation

However, as the 1997 presidential election approached, the ANSP leadership’s attempt to use North Korea for **a shooting provocation at the DMZ (Chongpung) and election interference (Bukpung)** was exposed, revealing Park Chae-seo’s existence to the public. The media referred to him by the code name **’Black Venus’**, reporting him as a special operative who had infiltrated North Korea under a false identity. Documents released at the time also indicated that he had contacted domestic political circles under the guise of following instructions from North Korea.