# Whatever Happened to the American who Requested Political Asylum in North Korea?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-american-who-requested-political-asylum-in-north-korea/546176
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [July 10, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-american-who-requested-political-asylum-in-north-korea/546176 "2010-07-10T01:14:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-american-who-requested-political-asylum-in-north-korea/546176/1 "2010-07-10T01:14:37Z")
While reading this morning’s report about a supposed suicide attempt by Aijalon Gomes, an American being held in North Korea, I suddenly remembered that I had read that an American sought political asylum in North Korea earlier this year. Most news reports make reference to the two Korean-American journalists who were freed a while back, Robert Park, or this Gomes character, but the supposed American who sought asylum in North Korea hasn’t been mentioned since AFAIK.
Cite:
[http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/01/30/american-detained-north-korea-seeks-asylum/](http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/01/30/american-detained-north-korea-seeks-asylum/)
I don’t believe that that was in reference to any of the four I already mentioned, but someone else completely different. Again, though, I haven’t heard anything else about this case in either the American or Chinese media. You’d think that this would be a big story, wouldn’t you? What’s your take on the matter? Was it a fictious story made up by the North Koreans? Is it real and the lack of info has to do with protecting the identity of the supposed defector?
---
### Author:  [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2010, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-american-who-requested-political-asylum-in-north-korea/546176/2 "2010-07-10T12:07:10Z")
You gotta be shittin’ me…not ONE reply?
---
### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-american-who-requested-political-asylum-in-north-korea/546176/3 "2010-07-10T12:51:28Z")
We’re all just waiting until our North Korean dopers who read about this man’s daily exploits in the _Rodong Sinmun_ can weigh in.