'''Free Joseon''' ({{korean|자유조선}}; formerly known as '''Cheollima Civil Defense''', formally styled as '''The Provisional Government of Free Joseon''') is a covert anti-[[North Korea]]n activist group and self-proclaimed "[[government in exile]]" established on March 4, 2017. It has been noted for protecting the family of [[Kim Jong-nam]] (including [[Kim Han-sol]]) following [[Assassination of Kim Jong-nam|his assassination in Malaysia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=[Newsmaker] Group claims establishment of NK provisional government |date=March 1, 2019 |work=[[The Korea Herald]] |url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190301000072 |access-date=March 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306174844/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190301000072 |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Shadowy group declares 'government-in-exile' for North Korea |date=March 1, 2019 |work=[[France24]] |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190301-shadowy-group-declares-government-exile-north-korea |access-date=March 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306113315/https://www.france24.com/en/20190301-shadowy-group-declares-government-exile-north-korea |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> It is also known to support [[North Korean defectors]].<ref>{{cite web | last1=Hope | first1=Bradley | last2=Lyons | first2=John | last3=Gale | first3=Alastair | title=Inside the Secretive Group Trying to Bring Down North Korea's Regime | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/inside-the-covert-group-threatening-to-bring-down-north-korea-11585923813 | date=April 3, 2020 | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | accessdate=April 4, 2020}}</ref> On March 1, 2019, "Cheollima Civil Defense" was renamed to "Free Joseon", which is also the proposed name for North Korea if it "overthrows its current government". Similar to the [[Fighters for a Free North Korea]], the group is considered as a North Korean democracy movement.
