User:Bjornar/Biography

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Bjornar Simonsen.   Note DPRK flag & Kim Il-sung lapel pin.
Bjornar Simonsen. Note DPRK flag & Kim Il-sung lapel pin.

Bjornar Simonsen is an International Counselor of the Korean Friendship Association (KFA). He lives in Oslo, Norway, and has been called the "good cop" of North Korean public relations (to Alejandro Cao de Benos' "bad cop"). Simonsen is a relatively liberal member of the KFA, and often speaks of a desire to "build bridges" between western societies and the DPRK. He is an active Wikipedian under the name "Bjornar" and for some time served as the token pro-DPRK viewpoint, before retiring from editing North Korean issues due to a dispute with Wikipedian Peter Weisman, aka "HarrySalmon". However, some users have pointed out that as Simonsen threatened Weisman with legal action, he was required by Wiki rules to retire from editing the article. The two can be seen altercating in infamous footage shot by Weisman during the Andrew Morse incident on the KFA trip in 2004.