[1] He is known for his leadership of the political group Free Joseon, a self-described North Korean provisional government based in Los Angeles.

[2] Hong serves as managing director of Free Joseon and was previously head of Pegasus Strategies LLC, an advisory firm.

His commentary calling attention to North Korean human rights abuses has been published in many American newspapers and magazines, including The Christian Science Monitor.

[3] Hong's father, Joseph, was a Christian missionary and taekwondo champion, who immigrated to Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

[9] In 2011, he traveled to Libya to "help open the door for the evacuation of tens of thousands of injured civilians and provide them with urgent medical care in Jordan.