Dr. Dong Hyun Choi (b. 2 August 1972) is a political exile from South Korea under British protection and among a number of South Koreans taken in as refugees in western European countries, namely France, Germany, UK and Sweden. Background Dong Hyun Choi (PhD) was an active academic, artist, political activist and advocate of freedom of speech and choice. Following his studies at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music, he went on to told several masters degrees and doctorate from universities in Europe, and he is a recipient of numerous international prizes in arts with endorsement from the likes of Sir Colin Davis of the Royal Opera and Baroness Dr. Jenny Tonge of the British Parliament’s House of Lords. According to , the South Korean government attempted to halt his artistic career and make a military man out of him which was condemned by western governments and international public figures. Among his former teachers are Betsy Jolas, George Crumb, Jean-Yves Bosseur, Earle Brown and Brian Ferneyhough. International petition against South Korea The public personalities that formally petitioned against the South Korean government to save Dong Hyun Choi from forcibly becoming a soldier are astrophysicist Dr. Rachel Padman(Cambridge University), lawyer and human rights campaigner Professor Stephen Whittle OBE (Manchester Metropolitan University), composer Dr. (University of Bristol), composer Professor (Stanford University, Imperial College, Oxford University, University of Sussex and European Academy of Sciences and Arts), Yan Pascal Tortelier (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra), Sir Colin Davis (London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Opera, London) and composer Steve Martland. Baroness Dr. Jenny Tonge (British Parliament upper chamber House of Lords) is known to have held talks with Jack Straw (former British Foreign Secretary) and Hong Soon-young (former South Korean Foreign Minister) to free Dong Hyun Choi. Following South Korea's refusal to back down and an incident of abuse involving South Korean military officials, British authorities took Dong Hyun Choi as British citizen to live and work in the UK where he was undertaking publicly-funded research in politics, arts and human rights from North/South Korea and Europe. International recognition awarded to Dong Hyun Choi The awards and recognition of distinction that Dong Hyun Choi has been a recipient of are, among others, DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship, Banff Centre’s Artist in Residence award (Canada), Luis de Narváez International Composition Prize (Spain), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship (USA) and IBLA International Competition (USA). Dong Hyun Choi was the first-ever South Korean to be offered an ORS scholarship (Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals’ Overseas Research Scholarship UK - now Universities UK) for his masters degree research at the University of Birmingham. His PhD was also funded by British public funds (HEFCE funding). It is known that due to South Korea’s refusal to issue him a passport, Dong Hyun Choi could not undertake his studies in Germany or the USA, all paid for by these awards. Similar cases of South Korean dissidents in Europe Dong Hyun Choi's case is reminiscent of that of Isang Yun, another dissident from South Korea in Europe, a composer from South Korea who was abducted in Germany by the South Korean secret service agents before being tortured and sentenced to death. Isang Yun was also freed by and to the West (Western world) following international pressure after which he became a West German citizen and turned to North Korea in support of the North Korean state. Among other similar cases is Song Du-yul, a professor of philosophy from South Korea also exiled in Germany. Present situation After his torture by the South Korean authorities, Dong Hyun Choi has since defected to North Korea and is now wanted by South Korea. It is known that there is a for anyone handing in information on Dong Hyun Choi to the South Korean secret service NIS (National Intelligence Service) and leading to his capture to South Korea where he could face capital punishment. Dong Hyun Choi and his spouse and children are thought to be living in European countries with established diplomatic ties with DPRK (North Korea) under assumed name and passport provided by European state authorities.