>>> TONIGHT, YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT FAKE KIDNAPPINGS, POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS, AND DRAMATIC RESCUES.
THERE ARE ALMOST AS MANY QUESTIONS AS THERE ARE ANSWERS ABOUT THIS STRANG STORY INVOLVING NORTH KOREA.
BUT ONE THING SEEMS CLEAR. THIS AMERICAN BELIEVES HE IS AN ENDAMAGE EN
ENDANGERED MAN. >> THE FBI HAS TOLD ME THAT MY LIFE IS IN DANGER, THAT THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT IS NOW
AND WILL BE TARGETING ME FOR ASSASSINATION. >>> CAN YOU DO THIS? HOW ABOUT THIS?
NOVAK DJOKOVICH CAN, AND THAT'S WHY HE'S THE GREATEST CHAMPION IN THE HISTORY OF MEN'S TENNIS. HE CLEARLY WANTED TO LEAVE HIS
MARK ON THIS INTERVIEW TOO. >> MENTAL STRENGTH, WHICH IS WHAT I THINK IS YOUR GREAT GIFT, IS MUCH HARDER TO ARTICULATE.
>> I WOULD HAVE TO CORRECT YOU. IT'S NOT A GIFT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT COMES WITH WORK.
>> I'M LESLEY STAHL. >> I'M BILL WHITAKER. >> I'M SHARYN ALFONSI. >> I'M JON WERTHEIM.
>> I'M CECILIA VEGA. >> I'M NORAH O'DONNELL. >> I'M SCOTT PELLEY. THOSE STORIES TONIGHT ON "60
MINUTES."
>>> NO ONE COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED A CASE LIKE THIS ONE. THOSE WORDS FROM A FEDERAL JUDGE DESCRIBE THE PLIGHT OF
CHRISTOPHER AHN, AN AMERICAN CITIZEN WHO'S MANAGED TO GET HIMSELF ENTANGLED IN A WEB OF INTRIGUE INVOLVING THE UNITED
STATES, SPAIN, AND NORTH KOREA. TONIGHT YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT FAKE KIDNAPPINGS, POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS, AND DRAMATIC
RESCUES. AND YOU'LL GET A UNIQUE INSIGHT INTO NORTH KOREA, THE WORLD'S MOST ISOLATED COUNTRY.
AS WE FIRST TOLD YOU IN MAY, THERE ARE ALMOST AS MANY QUESTIONS AS THERE ARE ANSWERS ABOUT THIS STRANGE STORY.
BUT ONE THING SEEMS CLEAR. CHRISTOPHER AHN IS AN ENDANGERED MAN. >> THIS WHOLE PLACE IS
CALLED -- >> WE MET CHRISTOPHER AHN IS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WHERE THE 43-YEAR-OLD SON OF KOREAN
IMMIGRANTS WAS BORN AND RAISED. AHN JOINED THE MARINES AND SERVED IN FALLUJAH. WHEN HE RETURNED FROM IRAQ, HE
GOT HIS MBA FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA AND COFOUNDED A CONSULTING BUSINESS. BUT SEVEN YEARS AGO, THE
SELF-DESCRIBED DO GOODER PICKED UP AN UNUSUAL HOBBY, HELPING NORTH KOREAN DIPLOMATS DEFECT. >> I DON'T THINK THAT I COULD
MORALLY LOOK AT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR IF I TURNED AWAY FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS DESPERATELY ASKING FOR HELP.
>> HOW MANY NORTH KOREANS DID YOU HELP DEFECT? >> I ALWAYS TRY TO LEAN ON CAUTION AND NOT REALLY TALK
ABOUT -- >> BUT IS IT A HANDFUL, DOZENS? GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
OR WAS THIS, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO AND I'M OUT? >> IT'S MORE THAN ONE OR TWO, AND IT'S LESS THAN DOZENS.
>> AHN SAYS HE DID IT WITH A SECRETIVE, MAKESHIFT GROUP OF ACTIVISTS WHO CALL THEMSELVES CHEOLLIMA CIVIL DEFENSE.
THEY CLAIM TO HAVE HELPED HIGH PROFILE NORTH KOREANS DEFECT. >> THERE WERE WHISPERS WITHIN THE NORTH KOREAN DIPLOMATIC
COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS STRANGE ORGANIZATION THAT WAS OUT THERE DOING THIS. >> WAS IT A LOOSELY FORMED GROUP
OF PEOPLE? >> IT WAS. >> AND HOW BIG ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
>> I DON'T EVEN ACTUALLY KNOW THE NUMBER. >> CHEOLLIMA'S GRAND MISSION WAS TO OVERTHROW THE NORTH KOREAN
DICTATORSHIP. ONE OF THE MOST REPRESSIVE REGIMES IN THE WORLD. THE UNDERGROUND GROUP WAS LED BY
THIS MAN, ADRIAN HONG, A KOREAN-MEXICAN WHO HELD A U.S. GREEN CARD. A YALE DROPOUT, HONG BECAME A
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST. >> AGENT HONG HAS SAID HE CONSIDERS HIMSELF A FREEDOM FIGHTER WHO'S CONDUCTING A
REVOLUTION. DID YOU VIEW YOURSELF AS A FREEDOM FIGHTER? >> NO.
NO. I -- I -- OBVIOUSLY ADRIAN HAS HIS MOTIVATIONS TO DOING WHAT HE WANTS TO DO.
BUT MY MOTIVATION WAS JUST SIMPLY TO BRING SOME HOPE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE HOPELESS. >> IN THE FALL OF 2018,
CHRISTOPHER AHN WAS IN ITALY WHEN A CHEOLLIMA TEAM REPORTEDLY ARRANGED FOR NORTH KOREA'S ACTING AMBASSADOR AND HIS WIFE
TO WALK OUT OF THEIR EMBASSY IN ROME, JUMP INTO A WAITING CAR, AND SPEED AWAY TO FREEDOM. IN FEBRUARY OF 2019, CHRISTOPHER
AHN FLEW TO SPAIN FOR ANOTHER SECRET OPERATION. AHN SAYS WHEN HE LANDED, HE DIDN'T KNOW THE DETAILS BUT
SUSPECTED IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY IN MADRID. HE WENT STRAIGHT TO THE SAFE
HOUSE, WHERE HE LEARNED ABOUT THE AMBITIOUS PLAN. CHEOLLIMA WAS GOING TO HELP THE ENTIRE NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY, AN
ESTIMATED TEN PEOPLE, DEFECT. >> HOW WAS THE MISSION EXPLAINED TO YOU ALL? >> WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS THAT
EVERYONE IN THE EMBASSY WANTED TO DEFECT BUT WERE AFRAID TO. AND SO OUR MAIN POINT OF CONTACT IN THE EMBASSY HAD ASKED US TO
STAGE A KIDNAPPING SO THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME TYPE OF PLAUSIBLE REASON THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYONE IN THE EMBASSY
DISAPPEARED BECAUSE THE PENALTY FOR DEFECTING IS DEATH, BUT NOT JUST FOR THE DEFECTOR. IT'S DEATH FOR EVERYONE THE
DEFECTOR KNOWS, INTERACTS WITH. >> IF YOU CAN MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE VICTIMS, THEN THEIR FAMILIES IN NORTH KOREA, THEIR
FRIENDS, ARE NOT IN JEOPARDY. >> CORRECT. >> AT ANY POINT, DID YOU THINK, THIS SOUNDS A LITTLE BIZARRE,
LIKE THIS SOUNDS CRAZY WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE? OR DID YOU THINK, IT'S A GOOD IDEA?
>> OF COURSE IT SOUNDS CRAZY, YOU KNOW? BUT WHAT THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE GO THROUGH IS CRAZY.
>> CHEOLLIMA'S MISSION IN MADRID WOULD BE ITS BIGGEST YET, ESSENTIALLY TO TAKE OVER THE NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY AND FAKE A
MASS KIDNAPPING. ON FEBRUARY 22nd, AROUND 4:30, CHEOLLIMA LEADER ADRIAN HONG, POSING AS A BUSINESSMAN, WENT TO
THE FRONT DOOR. >> HE RINGS THE DOORBELL. HE'S LET IN. AND WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS THAT THE
DOOR WOULD BE LEFT OPEN FOR US. AND THE PLAN WAS THAT WHEN WE RECEIVED A SIGNAL FOR US TO WALK INTO THE EMBASSY AND THEN BEGIN
THE STAGED KIDNAPPING. >> MOMENTS LATER, SCREEN GRABS FROM SECURITY CAMERAS SHOW OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CHEOLLIMA TEAM,
INCLUDING CHRISTOPHER AHN, WALKING THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR OF THE NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY. >> WHERE WAS THEIR SECURITY?
AREN'T THERE A VERSION OF MARINES POSTED OUTSIDE? >> NO. >> THERE WAS NO SECURITY OUTSIDE
THE EMBASSY? >> THERE WAS NO SECURITY. WHEN YOU TRADITIONALLY THINK OF AN EMBASSY, YOU THINK OF, LIKE,
YOU KNOW, REINFORCED DOORS AND GUARDS AND ALL THESE KINDS OF PEOPLE. THEIR EMBASSY IS NOT THAT KIND
OF AN EMBASSY. IT'S A HOUSE WITH A DRIVEWAY AND A DOOR THAT LEADS INTO THEIR LITTLE COMPOUND.
>> ARE YOU CARRYING A WEAPON? ARE MEMBERS OF THE GROUP -- >> OH, NO. I WAS NEVER CARRYING A WEAPON.
BUT THERE WERE WEAPONS THERE. FAKE GUNS. WHO WOULD BRING FAKE GUNS INTO A KIDNAPPING, RIGHT?
>> FAKE GUNS FOR WHAT HE SAYS WAS A FAKE KIDNAPPING. AWARE THEY WERE LIKELY UNDER SURVEILLANCE, AHN SAYS EMBASSY
STAFF MEMBERS WERE TIED UP AND HERDED INTO A ROOM, WHERE HE QUIETLY ADDRESSED THEM. >> WE'VE ANSWERED YOUR CALL, AND
WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU DEFECT. >> AND HOW DID THEY REACT TO THAT? >> IT WAS DISBELIEF.
IT WAS EXCITEMENT. SOMEONE SAID, IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING? AND THAT, TO ME, CONFIRMED WHAT
I WAS TOLD EARLIER THAT DAY, THAT EVERYONE INSIDE WANTED TO DEFECT. >> DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SAW WHEN
YOU WENT INSIDE THE EMBASSY. WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE? >> THERE WAS ALMOST NO FURNITURE.
IT WAS BARE. THE WALLS WERE BARE EXCEPT A FEW PROPAGANDA, KIND OF, POSTERS. SO, THE WHOLE PLACE WAS VERY
ECHOEY. AND I OPENED UP THE REFRIGERATOR, AND THERE WAS NOTHING IN THERE.
AND IMMEDIATELY I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, THESE ARE THE ELITES. THESE ARE THE CREAM OF THE CROP OF NORTH KOREA, AND THEY HAVE
NOTHING TO EAT IN THERE. >> ONE HOUR INTO THE OPERATION, AHN SAYS THE CHEOLLIMA TEAM WAS ON THE VERGE OF LEAVING THE
EMBASSY WITH THE NORTH KOREANS WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED. >> THERE WAS A RING AT THE DOOR, AND EVERYONE'S VERY SURPRISED BY
THIS. AND I SEE THAT IT'S THE SPANISH POLICE. AND I'M -- THAT'S SHOCKING.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE? I GO BACK INTO THE ROOM WITH EVERYBODY, AND THEY ASK ME QUIETLY, YOU KNOW, WHO WAS AT
THE DOOR? WHY IS THE DOORBELL RINGING? SO, I SAID, THE POLICE ARE AT THE DOOR.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE COLOR ON EVERYONE'S FACE JUST TURN TO LILY WHITE. AND THEY WOULD WHISPER TO ME,
VERY TERRIFIED, AND SAY THAT THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW. >> AS THE POLICE WAITED FOR SOMEONE TO ANSWER, CHEOLLIMA
LEADER ADRIAN HONG PUT ON A NORTH KOREAN LAPEL PIN TO LOOK LIKE A DIPLOMAT, THEN OPENED THE FRONT DOOR.
THE POLICE INFORMED HONG THAT A BLOODIED NORTH KOREAN WOMAN HAD FRANTICALLY TOLD THEM THERE WAS A PROBLEM INSIDE THE EMBASSY.
HONG REPLIED NOTHING WAS WRONG AND SHUT THE DOOR. >> I BELIEVE THAT WAS WHEN WE REALIZED THAT NOT EVERYONE WAS
ACCOUNTED FOR. >> WHO WAS MISSING? >> IT WAS THE WIFE OF ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE EMBASSY STAFF.
>> THE WIFE HAD JUMPED OFF AN EMBASSY BALCONY IN THE EARLY MINUTES OF THE INCURSION. DESPITE AN INJURED LEG, SHE
DRAGGED HERSELF ONTO THE STREET, WHERE SHE WAS DISCOVERED BY AN ALARMED SPANISH MOTORIST. >> AFTER THE POLICE LEFT, THE
PHONE ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTED RINGING AND RINGING. IT WOULD RING, RING, RING, RING, WAIT ABOUT FIVE, TEN SECONDS AND
RING, RING, RING AGAIN FOR HOURS. AND IN THAT ECHOEY HOUSE, WITH THE PHONE RINGING, JUST ECHOING
EVERYWHERE, I DON'T CARE HOW COURAGEOUS YOU THINK YOU ARE, THAT IS SCARY. AND SO, IT IS TOTALLY AND
COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE WHY THEY WOULD BE AFRAID. >> THAT THEY HAD BEEN CAUGHT. >> YES.
>> NO ONE KNEW WHO WAS CALLING, BUT THE FEAR WAS THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT WAS NOW AWARE SOMETHING WAS AMISS INSIDE ITS
MADRID EMBASSY. THE ACTING AMBASSADOR, SO YUN SOK, THE MAIN POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE ALLEGED MASS DEFECTION,
WAS INSIDE THE EMBASSY AND SEEMED SPOOKED. >> ADRIAN SAID, THE MAIN POINT OF CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THIS
MISSION HAS BEEN COMPROMISED AND THAT HE'S TOO AFRAID TO GO. SO, WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THERE. OUR MAIN POINT OF CONTACT THERE
GIVES MEMBERS OF THE GROUP KEYS TO THE EMBASSY VEHICLES. >> JUST AFTER 9:00 P.M., FOUR AND A HALF HOURS AFTER IT
ENTERED THE EMBASSY, THE CHEOLLIMA TEAM FLED IN THE EMBASSY VEHICLES. THEY DITCHED THEM ALL OVER
MADRID. NO ONE WAS CAUGHT. CHRISTOPHER AHN HAILED A CAB AND WENT TO PORTUGAL AND EVENTUALLY
BACK TO THE UNITED STATES. LEFT BEHIND AT THE EMBASSY, KNIVES, HANDCUFFS, FAKE GUNS, AND THE SHAKEN STAFF.
AND NOW THE NORTH KOREAN ACTING AMBASSADOR, WHO SUPPOSEDLY ASKED FOR HELP DEFECTING, TOLD SPANISH POLICE, THE ENTIRE EMBASSY STAFF
HAD BEEN HELD AGAINST THEIR WILL AND BEATEN. >> AT ANY POINT, DID YOU SEE ANYONE HARM --
>> NO. >> -- MEMBERS OF THE NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY? >> OH, NO.
IT WAS A LITTLE OPPOSITE. I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT IT DIDN'T LOOK REAL ENOUGH BECAUSE THEY WERE TRYING SO HARD TO MAKE
SURE NOBODY GOT HURT. >> THE SPANISH AUTHORITIES SAY IT WAS A KIDNAPPING. WHAT DO YOU SAY?
>> WELL, IT MEANS WE DID OUR JOB. WE MADE IT LOOK REAL, AND THAT WAS THE POINT.
WE WANTED TO MAKE IT LOOK AS REAL AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE HAD TO. WE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE.
>> THE CHEOLLIMA TEAM TOOK AND LATER POSTED VIDEO OF ONE OF ITS MEMBERS, NOT CHRISTOPHER AHN, SMASHING THE PHOTOS OF NORTH
KOREAN LEADERS INSIDE THE EMBASSY. THAT RAISED MORE QUESTIONS, AS DID THE TIMING OF THE RAID.
IT HAPPENED FIVE DAYS BEFORE THEN-PRESIDENT TRUMP MET FOR A SECOND TIME WITH NORTH KOREAN DICTATOR KIM JONG-UN IN HANOI, A
MEETING SOME HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS FEARED WOULD EMPOWER THE NORTH KOREAN REGIME. WAS THE INTENTION OF THE
OPERATION TO PROVOKE KIM JONG-UN? >> I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THAT WAS HAPPENING.
>> COME ON. >> AGAIN -- >> EVERYBODY KNEW THAT WAS HAPPENING.
>> I MEAN, IF YOU ARE A NORTH KOREA WATCHER OR -- >> YOU ARE A NORTH KOREA WATCHER.
>> I AM NOT. I AM NOT. I'M JUST A GUY FROM L.A., YOU KNOW?
>> IT SEEMS LIKE YOU WOULD BE AWARE OF THAT, THAT THIS WAS IN YOUR ORBIT, THAT YOU CARED WHAT WAS GOING ON.
YOU'RE A SMART GUY. THIS -- THE WHOLE WORLD IS TALKING ABOUT THESE TWO LEADERS MEETING.
YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? >> SO, MAYBE I DID. BUT NONE OF WHAT I AM DOING IS
MOTIVATED BY ANYTHING POLITICAL OR ANYTHING BIGGER THAN THE FACT THAT I WAS ASKED TO HELP THESE DEFECTORS DEFECT.
>> BACK IN THE U.S., ADRIAN HONG TURNED OVER COMPUTERS AND OTHER DIGITAL DATA CHEOLLIMA TOOK FROM THE NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY TO THE
FBI. CHRISTOPHER AHN SAYS HE ALSO MET WITH FBI AGENTS AT HIS APARTMENT IN L.A.
>> WE HAD A REALLY FRIENDLY CONVERSATION. THEY ASKED ME ABOUT MY INVOLVEMENT, WHAT HAPPENED.
I TRIED TO BE AS TRUTHFUL AS I COULD. YOU KNOW, WE ENDED THE MEETING WITH ME ASKING, HEY, IS
EVERYTHING GOOD? YOU KNOW, SHOULD I BE CONCERNED WITH ANYTHING? AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS, OH, NO,
NOT AT ALL. FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, YOU WERE FURTHERING AMERICAN INTERESTS. >> SO, YOU THOUGHT, I'M GOOD.
>> YEAH. >> AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED? >> WELL, ABOUT TWO, THREE WEEKS AFTER THAT OR SO, ONE OF THE FBI
AGENTS CALLED ME AND SAID THAT NORTH KOREA HAD DISCOVERED MY IDENTITY AND THAT I NEEDED TO BE VIGILANT.
AND THAT THE ONLY PLACE IN THIS WORLD THAT I AM SAFE IS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. >> THE FBI HAS TOLD YOU WHAT
ABOUT THE THREAT? >> THE FBI HAS TOLD ME THAT MY LIFE IS IN DANGER, THAT THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT IS NOW
AND WILL BE TARGETING ME FOR ASSASSINATION. >> WHEN WE COME BACK, CHRISTOPHER AHN REVEALS HIS ROLE
IN ANOTHER SECRET OPERATION AFTER NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG-UN'S HALF BROTHER WAS ASSASSINATED IN A CROWDED
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN MALAYSIA.
>>> CHRISTOPHER AHN MAINTAINS WHEN HE AND A GROUP OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS FROM CHEOLLIMA CIVIL DEFENSE ENTERED THE NORTH
KOREAN EMBASSY IN MADRID IN 2019, IT WAS ALL THEATER, PART OF A BOTCHED FAKE KIDNAPPING TO HELP THE NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY
STAFF WHO WANTED TO DEFECT. IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE INCURSION, THE FBI WARNED AHN AND CHEOLLIMA'S LEADER, ADRIAN
HONG, THAT THEIR LIVES WERE IN DANGER. >> I WAS GOING INTO THIS APARTMENT --
>> TWO MONTHS AFTER THE RAID IN MADRID, CHRISTOPHER AHN SAYS HE WAS CARRYING A GUN FOR PROTECTION, WHEN HE CAME HERE,
TO ADRIAN HONG'S L.A. APARTMENT TO DROP OFF SECURITY CAMERAS. HE WAS STUNNED TO FIND U.S. MARSHALS INSIDE.
>> I OPENED THE DOOR AND I WALK IN, AND THE MARSHALS ARE IN THERE. I SURPRISED THEM.
THEY SURPRISED ME. THEY PUT A GUN TO MY HEAD AND SAID, LIKE, DON'T MOVE OR I'LL BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT.
>> AHN SAYS HE WAS HANDCUFFED AND TAKEN TO JAIL FOR HIS ROLE IN THE RAID OF THE NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY IN MADRID.
>> WHEN YOU'RE IN JAIL, ARE YOU THINKING, THIS IS A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING AND SURELY I'LL BE OUT ANY DAY?
OR DID YOU THINK, THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD? >> I THOUGHT I'D GET BAIL, RIGHT, IMMEDIATELY.
I DON'T HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD. I DON'T THINK I EVEN HAD A PARKING TICKET IN THE LAST 15 YEARS.
>> CHRISTOPHER AHN SPENT 87 DAYS BEHIND BARS IN THE LOS ANGELES METROPOLITAN DETENTION CENTER. SPAIN HAD ISSUED INTERNATIONAL
ARREST WARRANTS FOR HIM AND SEVEN OTHER CHEOLLIMA ACTIVISTS, CHARGING THEM WITH BREAKING AND ENTERING, CAUSING INJURIES, AND
RESTRAINT. SPAIN HAS SAID IT WAS A CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION. WAS IT A CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION
IN YOUR MIND? >> I MEAN, UNLESS IT'S A CRIME TO CARE AND IT'S A CRIME TO HELP PEOPLE.
>> I GET WANTING TO HELP PEOPLE. BUT WHY NOT LET, YOU KNOW, THE CIA, LET THE PROFESSIONALS DO THIS?
>> I THINK IT'S BECAUSE ALL THOSE PROFESSIONALS HAVEN'T DONE THIS. WHAT IS A DIPLOMAT SUPPOSED TO
DO? WHO ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GO TO IF THEY WANT TO ESCAPE? ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE
EMBASSY OF THEIR SWORN ENEMY? THEY HAVE LIVED THEIR ENTIRE LIVES KNOWING THAT THEY'RE BEING WATCHED 24/7.
AND WE'RE THE ONLY ONES IN THE WORLD THAT THEY TRUST. >> U.S. MARSHALS PUBLISHED A WANTED POSTER FOR CHEOLLIMA
LEADER, ADRIAN HONG, CALLING HIM ARMED AND DANGEROUS. HE WENT UNDERGROUND AND REMAINS A FUGITIVE TODAY.
CHRISTOPHER AHN IS NOW OUT ON BAIL, BUT HE'S BEEN ORDERED TO WEAR AN ANKLE MONITOR. HIS LEGAL SAGA IS FAR FROM OVER.
SPAIN WANTS HIM TO STAND TRIAL IN MADRID. THERE IS AN EXTRADITION TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
SPAIN. AND FOR FIVE YEARS, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS ARGUED THAT FEDERAL COURTS ARE
OBLIGATED TO SIGN OFF ON SENDING CHRISTOPHER AHN TO SPAIN. >> THIS IS WHAT THE U.S. ATTORNEY HAS SAID ABOUT THE
CASE. HE SAID, COUNTRIES HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROTECT DIPLOMATS. THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.
AND FOR SPAIN, IT IS A BLACK EYE TO COME IN AND COMMIT WHAT THEY ARE CHARGING AS CRIMES. IS THAT A FAIR POINT?
DOES SPAIN HAVE A DUTY TO PROTECT FOREIGN EMBASSIES ON ITS SOIL? >> OF COURSE THEY DO.
SPAIN NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHER COUNTRIES IN THEIR EMBASSIES FEEL SAFE. THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEIR ALLIES KNOW THAT THEY HONOR THEIR TREATIES AND THEIR AGREEMENTS. BUT NORTH KOREA IS NOT A NORMAL
COUNTRY. >> IT'S A TERRORIST STATE. >> SUNG-YOON LEE IS A FELLOW -- AN EXPERT ON NORTH KOREA, HE
TESTIFIED AT CHRISTOPHER AHN'S FEDERAL COURT HEARING THAT IF AHN IS EXTRADITED TO SPAIN, HE WOULD BE VULNERABLE TO NORTH
KOREAN ASSASSINS. >> YOU THINK THEY WILL GO AFTER CHRISTOPHER AHN. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> IN SPAIN? >> WELL, SPAIN IS AN ADVANCED COUNTRY, BUT NORTH KOREA IS BRAZEN ENOUGH TO COMMIT CRIMES
LIKE KIDNAPPING AND MURDER IN SEVERAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. CHRISTOPHER AHN IS, I'M AFRAID, A VERY HIGH PRIORITY TARGET FOR
THE KIM REGIME. AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE THE SO-CALLED RAID ON THE EMBASSY IN MADRID WAS UNPRECEDENTED.
MOREOVER, CHRISTOPHER AHN IS THE PERSON WE LEARNED LATER WHO CHALLENGED THE UNCHALLENGEABLE, INFALLIBLE NORTH KOREAN LEADER
TWICE. >> TWICE. BECAUSE IN A CRAZY TWIST TO A CRAZY STORY, CHRISTOPHER AHN HAD
BEEN INVOLVED IN ANOTHER RESCUE THAT OUTRAGED NORTH KOREAN DICTATOR KIM JONG-UN TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MADRID RAID.
FEBRUARY, 2017, THE KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN MALAYSIA. THOSE ARE TWO SUSPECTED NORTH
KOREAN AGENTS LURKING IN THE DEPARTURE HALL. AND THAT IS KIM YONG NAM, THE HALF BROTHER AND CRITIC OF NORTH
KOREAN DICTATOR, KIM JONG-UN. HE ENTERS THE HALL TO CATCH A FLIGHT AROUND 9:00 A.M. IN THIS BLURRY VIDEO, KIM YONG
NAM IS ACCOSTED BY TWO WOMEN, WHO SMEAR HIM IN THE EYES WITH A BX NERVE AGENT, A BANNED CHEMICAL WEAPON.
WITHIN 30 MINUTES, HE IS DEAD. >> THIS ASSASSINATION OCCURS, AND IT'S A SHOCK TO EVERYONE. >> INCLUDING THE 21-YEAR-OLD SON
OF KIM YONG NAM, WHO WAS LIVING IN CHINA. CHRISTOPHER AHN SAYS KIM HAN SOL, WHO WAS VIEWED AS A THREAT
TO THE NORTH KOREAN THRONE, WAS TERRIFIED. >> HE GOT A CALL FROM NORTH KOREA THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE
COMING TO EXECUTE HIM OR ASSASSINATE HIM AND THAT WHEN HE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW, THAT ALL OF THE SECURITY DISAPPEARED.
AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHO TO TURN TO FOR HELP. >> HE TURNED TO ADRIAN HONG, THE HEAD OF CHEOLLIMA, FOR HELP.
HONG THEN TURNED TO CHRISTOPHER AHN, THE FORMER MARINE, TO PULL OFF THE RESCUE. >> HE SAYS, CAN YOU FLY TO
TAIWAN AND MEET HIM THERE AND KEEP HIM SAFE WHILE, YOU KNOW, WE TALK TO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT A PLACE
WHERE HE COULD, YOU KNOW, APPLY FOR ASYLUM? I JUMPED ON A PLANE THE LAST FLIGHT OUT AND I ARRIVED IN
TAIPEI. >> HOW DID HE KNOW TO LOOK FOR YOU? >> I TOLD ADRIAN THAT, TELL HIM
TO LOOK FOR A GUY WITH A BLACK T-SHIRT, A DODGER HAT, AND I'LL BE GOING BY THE NAME, STEVE. AND SO WHEN HIS FLIGHT ARRIVED,
I WAS STANDING BY THE GATE AND I SAW SOMEONE WALKING TOWARD ME. WE LOCKED EYES. AND THAT'S -- AND HE ASKED ME,
ARE YOU STEVE? AND I SAID, YES. DON'T WORRY. I GOT YOU.
>> AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW PEOPLE MAY WANT TO KILL HIM. >> SURE. >> WERE YOU NERVOUS?
>> I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY WEIRD IF I WASN'T NERVOUS. >> CHRISTOPHER AHN SAYS HE HID KIM HAN SOL, THE SCARED NEPHEW
OF THE NORTH KOREAN DICTATOR, IN A PRIVATE ROOM AT THE AIRPORT FOR 36 HOURS UNTIL A SAFE HAVEN COULD BE FOUND FOR HIM.
>> THESE TWO PEOPLE SHOW UP, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE FROM THE CIA. THEY WANT TO TALK TO HAN SOL.
>> THEY KNOW IT'S HAN SOL THAT'S IN THERE? >> CORRECT. SO, UNTIL I GOT CONFIRMATION
THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY FROM THE CIA, I TRIED TO KEEP SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO. SOON AFTER, ADRIAN CONFIRMED
THAT THEY WERE FROM THE CIA, AND SO AFTER THAT, I FELT RELIEVED. >> HE SAYS ADRIAN HONG THEN INSTRUCTED HIM TO BUY A PLANE
TICKET FOR KIM HAN SOL TO AMSTERDAM. >> YOU'RE BOOKING TICKETS FOR HIM AT THIS POINT?
>> YEAH. >> THE CIA'S NOT DOING THAT? >> NO, NO. >> DID THAT STRIKE YOU AS
STRANGE? >> THIS WHOLE THING IS STRANGE. >> BEFORE KIM HAN SOL DEPARTED, CHRISTOPHER AHN ASKED HIM IF HE
WOULD RECORD A VIDEO. >> I KIND OF TOLD HIM, HEY, I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF WEIRD, BUT DO YOU MIND JUST ACKNOWLEDGING
THAT WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU? >> HE SAYS, OKAY. AND SO, IN THAT LITTLE HOTEL ROOM, I PULLED OUT MY CRACKED
SCREEN iPHONE 6 AND TOOK THE VIDEO. >> WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO ADRIAN FOR HIS HELP, ADRIAN AND HIS
TEAM, FOR HIS HELP. AND WE HOPE THIS GETS BETTER SOON. >> THE VIDEO WAS SEEN AROUND THE
WORLD, BUT KIM HAN SOL HASN'T BEEN SEEN SINCE. AHN SAYS A CIA OFFICER ESCORTED KIM HAN SOL ONTO THE FLIGHT, BUT
HE EVER SHOWED UP IN THE AMSTERDAM ARRIVALS HALL. IT'S BELIEVED HE WAS WHISKED AWAY TO A LIFE IN PROTECTIVE
CUSTODY. >> WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HELPING SOMEONE WHO WAS ONCE CONSIDERED POTENTIALLY THE
HEIR APPARENT OF NORTH KOREA JUST DISAPPEAR AND FIND SAFETY, YOU'RE NOT JUST A TARGET, YOU'RE A TOP FIVE TARGET.
>> NAUEN RIM IS CHRISTOPHER'S ATTORNEY. SHE SAYS THE FBI HAS ALSO TOLD HER AHN MAY BE KILLED IF HE
LEAVES THE UNITED STATES. >> WHO IN THE U.S. CAN STOP THE EXTRADITION TO SPAIN? >> ANTONY BLINKEN CAN STOP IT.
ULTIMATELY PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN CAN STOP IT, AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIONS. THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE
PRESIDENT CAN STOP THIS. >> BUT HISTORICALLY THEY HAVEN'T. >> THERE ARE ALMOST NO INSTANCES
WHERE THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS STEPPED IN AND STOPPED AN EXTRADITION. BUT THERE ARE ALSO NO CASES
WHERE THE EXTRADITION REQUEST IS ACTUALLY BEING DRIVEN BY NORTH KOREA, A COUNTRY THAT THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT HAVE DIPLOMATIC
TIES WITH FOR A REASON. >> "60 MINUTES" REQUESTED INTERVIEWS WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, AND THE FBI TO DISCUSS CHRISTOPHER AHN'S POTENTIAL EXTRADITION TO SPAIN. ALL DECLINED TO BE INTERVIEWED.
WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO SPANISH OFFICIALS. THEY ALSO DECLINED TO SPEAK TO US.
BUT LAST YEAR, WHILE FILMING OUTSIDE THE NORTH KOREAN EMBASSY IN MADRID, WE UNEXPECTEDLY WERE CONFRONTED BY THE MAN WHO IS
CHEOLLIMA'S MAIN POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE ALLEGED FAKE KIDNAPPING, SO YOON SOK. WE WANTED TO INTERVIEW HIM.
HE WANTED US ARRESTED. NEITHER SIDE GOT ITS WISH. LAST YEAR, THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT RELEASED A STATEMENT
BLASTING THE UNITED STATES OVER THE EMBASSY INCIDENT AND SINGLED OUT ONE PERSON BY NAME, CHRISTOPHER AHN.
THE NORTH KOREANS CALLED HIM A FELON WHO DESERVES SEVERE PUNISHMENT FROM EVERY ASPECT. >> NORTH KOREA HAS A HISTORY.
THE ASSASSINATION THAT THEY DID IN MALAYSIA WASN'T THEIR FIRST ONE. AND THEY HAD BEEN PUBLICLY
EMBARRASSED WITH WHAT HAPPENED IN SPAIN. THEY HAD BEEN PUBLICLY EMBARRASSED WITH ME HELPING
RESCUE HAN SOL. AND WHEN THEY ARE EMBARRASSED, THEY RESPOND FIERCELY. SO, WHY WOULDN'T I BELIEVE THE
FBI WHEN THEY TELL ME THAT NORTH KOREA'S TRYING TO KILL ME? >>> DURING AN INTERVIEW IN A CURATED TOUR IN THIS ATHLETE'S
PSYCH, NOVAK DJOKOVICH TOLD US LAST DECEMBER THERE IS ONE THING THAT WOULD MAKE HIS CAREER, WINNING
WINNING AN OLYMPIC MEDAL. BEATING CARLOS ALCARAZ AND PLAYING AS WELL AS EVER. NOW DJOKOVICH, THE DEFENDING
CHAMP, WILL TRY TO WIN A RECORD 25th MAJOR TITLE AT THE U.S. OPEN, WHICH BEGINS TOMORROW IN NEW YORK.
HE'S DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO STRETCH OUT THE RIDE. >> IT WAS A LATE MORNING WORKOUT IN BELGRADE, SERBIA, AND NOVAK
DJOKOVICH LET US IN ON THE KEY TO HIS STAGGERING SUCCESS. FORGET SPEED OR STRENGTH. FLEXIBILITY ENABLES HIM TO
PERFORM FEATS LIKE THIS. IT'S ALSO ENABLED HIM TO CONTORT AND TWIST THE LAWS OF TIME. >> YOU ARE BEATING PLAYERS RIGHT
NOW, GOOD PLAYERS, WHO ARE CLOSER IN AGE TO YOUR KIDS THAN THEY ARE TO YOU. HOW MUCH SATISFACTION DOES THAT
GIVE YOU? >> I DON'T KNOW. THAT SOUNDS GOOD, TO BE HONEST. BUT, YEAH, I THINK YOUNG GUYS,
WHO ARE VERY HUNGRY AND VERY INSPIRED TO PLAY THEIR BEST TENNIS AGAINST ME IS AN ADDITIONAL MOTIVATION.
I THINK THEY KIND OF AWAKEN A BEAST IN ME. >> DJOKOVICH IS NO LONGER CHASING RECORDS.
HE'S CREATING THEM. HIS STUBBORN HABIT OF WINNING MAJOR TITLES STARTED IN 2008, AND IT'S GONE ON AND ON.
HALF OF HIS 24 COMING AFTER HE TURNED 30. MOST RECENTLY, LAST SEPTEMBER'S U.S. OPEN.
HE SAYS THAT HE MAY NOT BE AS FAST AS HE ONCE WAS, BUT HE'S WISER AND MORE ACCURATE. GIVE US A SENSE OF THE SIZE OF
THE TARGET YOU'RE AIMING FOR. >> LIKE THIS. A LITTLE COIN. AT TIMES, YES.
>> YOU'RE BEING SERIOUS? >> I'M SERIOUS. AT TIMES, I'M AIMING, YOU KNOW,
THIS SIZE. SOMETIMES I'M AIMING FOR THIS SIZE. IT DEPENDS IN A MOMENT OF THE
MATCH, WHO AM I PLAYING AGAINST, WHAT THE TACTIC IS. >> ANOTHER PART OF HIS TACTICS, LOOKING FOR ANY HINT OF WEAKNESS
ACROSS THE NET. >> EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO PHYSICAL CONTACT IN TENNIS, THERE IS STILL A LOT OF EYE
CONTACT. WHEN WE ARE CHANGING ENDS, WHEN WE'RE SITTING ON THE BENCH, AND THEN THE BIG SCREEN SHOWS HIM,
HOW HE DRINKS HIS WATER. AND I'M LOOKING AT HIM. HOW IS HE DRINKING WATER? IS HE SWEATING MORE THAN USUAL?
IS HE BREATHING -- >> YOU'RE TAKING THIS ALL IN DURING A MATCH? >> EXACTLY.
IS HE BREATHING DEEPLY OR NOT DEEPLY? AND I LOOK AT HOW HE'S COMMUNICATING WITH HIS TEAM.
YOU HAVE ALL THESE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS AT PLAY THAT REALLY AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE IN THE GAME ITSELF.
>> CAN I TELL YOU WHAT ONE OF THE HARDEST PARTS OF COVERING YOU IS? PEOPLE UNDERSTAND BIG MUSCLES
AND SPEED AND GRACE. MENTAL STRENGTH, WHICH IS WHAT I THINK IS YOUR GREAT GIFT, IS MUCH HARDER TO ARTICULATE.
>> I WOULD HAVE TO CORRECT YOU. IT'S NOT A GIFT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT COMES WITH WORK.
>> YOU TRAIN FOR THE MENTAL SIDE THE WAY YOU WOULD YOUR SERVE OR YOUR FOREHAND? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> YES. >> NOW? >> WELL, THERE ARE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES.
CONSCIOUS BREATHING IS A BIG PART, ESPECIALLY IN MOMENTS YOU'RE UNDER TENSION. >> I THINK PEOPLE THINK, OH, IN
THE MOMENT, NOVAK IS SO LOCKED IN. >> I MIGHT APPEAR MAYBE LOCKED IN, BUT TRUST ME, THERE'S A
STORM INSIDE. AND THE BIGGEST, OLDEST BATTLE IS WITHIN, RIGHT? YOU HAVE YOUR DOUBTS AND FEARS.
I FEEL IT EVERY SINGLE MATCH. I DON'T LIKE THIS KIND OF OF A MINDSET THAT I SEE A LOT IN SPORTS.
JUST THINK POSITIVE THOUGHTS, BE OPTIMISTIC. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR FAILURE. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DOUBTS AND
STUFF LIKE THIS. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. YOU ARE A HUMAN BEING. THE DIFFERENCE, I GUESS, BETWEEN
THE GUYS WHO ARE ABLE TO BE BIGGEST CHAMPIONS AND THE ONES THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO GET TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL, IS THE
ABILITY TO NOT STAY IN THOSE EMOTIONS FOR TOO LONG. SO, FOR ME, IT'S REALLY RELATIVELY SHORT.
SO, AS SOON AS I EXPERIENCE IT, I ACKNOWLEDGE IT. I MAYBE BURST, I SCREAM ON THE COURT, WHATEVER HAPPENS.
BUT THEN I'M ABLE TO BOUNCE BACK AND RESET. >> SOME DAYS YOU WIN AND YOU'RE JUST -- YOU'RE THE BETTER
PLAYER. YOU'RE MORE PRECISE. YOU'RE MORE POWERFUL. OTHER TIMES YOU ARE JUST BETTER
MENTALLY. >> THAT HAPPENED IN 2019 WHEN I PLAYED FINALS IN WIMBLEDON, THAT MARATHON MATCH, EPIC MATCH WITH
ROGER. >> HE HAD TWO MATCH POINTS ON HIS SERVE. >> I REMEMBER THAT VERY WELL.
>> FIFTH AND DECISIVE SET, WIMBLEDON CENTER COURT, HISTORICALLY PIVOTAL MATCH, CROWD SQUARELY WITH ROGER
FEDERER, WHO STOOD ONE POINT FROM VICTORY. DJOKOVICH STAYED ALIVE WITH COLD BLOODED SHOTS LIKE THIS.
>> I BEAT HIM 13-12 IN THE FIFTH SET. THE SETS THAT I WON WERE ALL WON TIEBREAKS, 7-6, 7-6, 13-12.
OVERALL, AS YOU SEE STATS, HE WAS FAR BETTER PLAYER IN EVERY ASPECT. BUT I WON THE MATCH.
SO, THAT CAN EVENTUALLY TELLS YOU THAT YOU CAN STILL WIN IF YOU PICK AND CHOOSE IN WHICH MOMENTS OF THE MATCH YOU ARE
PEAKING AND YOU ARE PLAYING YOUR BEST WHEN IT MATTERS. >> AT THE OUTSET OF HIS CAREER, DJOKOVICH COULDN'T BREAK THROUGH
AGAINST FEDERER AND NADAL. HE WAS THE THIRD WHEEL. AND HE NOW ADMITS HE FELT INTIMIDATED BY THEM BEFORE BIG
MATCHES. >> I'M PLAYING NADAL AND I HAVE HIS LOCKER NEXT TO MY LOCKER. SO, WE ARE SO CLOSE.
AND WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE EACH OTHER SPACE, BUT THEN LOCKER ROOM IS ALSO NOT THAT BIG. AND THE WAY YOU JUMP AROUND LIKE
NADAL DOES BEFORE WE GO OUT ON THE COURT. IN THE LOCKER ROOM, HE'S DOING SPRINTS NEXT TO YOU.
I CAN EVEN HEAR THE MUSIC HE'S LISTENING TO IN HIS HEADPHONES. SO, IT'S PISSING ME OFF. >> WAY BEFORE YOU HIT THE FIRST
BALL, THIS COMPETITION STARTED? >> ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. EARLY IN MY CAREER, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS ALL PART OF THE
SCENARIO. SO, I WAS GETTING INTIMIDATED. BUT IT ALSO MOTIVATED ME TO SHOW MYSELF THAT I'M READY, I'M READY
FOR BATTLE, FOR WAR. >> HE IS AWARE HE'S NEVER QUITE MATCHED THEIR SOARING POPULARITY.
>> THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE AND STRESS IS SO MUCH HIGHER IF YOU HAVE CROWD AGAINST YOU. >> HOME GAME VERSUS ROAD GAME.
>> ABSOLUTELY. BUT MOST OF MY CAREER, IT WAS MOSTLY HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS FOR ME.
I, KIND OF, LEARN HOW TO THRIVE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. PEOPLE THINK IT'S ACTUALLY BETTER IF THEY DON'T LIKE ME SO
IT, KIND OF, GETS THE BEST OUT OF ME IN TERMS OF TENNIS. I ENJOY MORE BEING IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE I HAVE NICE
SUPPORT. >> DJOKOVICH IS OPEN ABOUT THIS, TOO. HE SOMETIMES STRUGGLES WITH --
HOW TO PUT IT -- IMPULSE CONTROL. >> YOUR TENNIS IS SO PRECISE AND CRISP.
HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT WHEN YOU MAKE THESE, SORT OF, ERRORS AND LAPSES WHEN YOU BREAK A RACKET OR WHEN YOUR EMOTIONS GET THE
BETTER OF YOU? >> LOOK, I MEAN, I'VE BROKEN RACKETS IN MY LIFE, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
AND I'M NOT PROUD ABOUT THAT. AND I'M ASHAMED OF MYSELF WHEN I DO THAT, NO DOUBT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW,
I ACCEPT MYSELF AS A FAULT HUMAN BEING. >> DJOKOVICH FOUND CONTROVERSY OF A LARGER SCALE IN EARLY 2022.
UNVACCINATED, HE GOT AN EXEMPTION TO PLAY THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN AT A TIME WHEN THE COUNTRY WAS COMING OUT OF A LONG COVID
LOCKDOWN. BUT AFTER PUBLIC OUTCRY, DJOKOVICH WAS DEPORTED, MAKING FOR A GLOBAL NEWS EVENT.
>> HOW MUCH OF A TOLL DID THAT WHOLE CONTROVERSY TAKE ON YOU? >> IT DID. I WAS BASICALLY DECLARED AS A
VILLAIN OF THE WORLD. >> YOU SAID SO. >> OF COURSE. AND I HAD BASICALLYÂ -- YEAH,
MOST OF THE WORLD AGAINST ME. I HAD THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE ON THE TENNIS COURT WITH CROWDS THAT WERE NOT, MAYBE, CHEERING
ME ON, BUT I NEVER HAD THIS PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE BEFORE IN MY LIFE. >> DID YOU MISREAD THE
AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC AND WHAT THE REACTION WOULD BE? >> IN WHICH WAY DID I MISREAD? >> LIKE EXCEPTIONALISM.
THIS WAS A CULTURE THAT FELT VERY STRONGLY ABOUT VACCINATION. >> IT WAS NOT UP TO ME TO READ ANYBODY.
I GOT THE EXEMPTION. I GOT PERMISSION TO COME INTO THE COUNTRY. OF COURSE IT ESCALATED TO THE
HIGHEST OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS GLOBALLY. >> CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. YOU WERE NOT AGAINST
VACCINATION. YOU JUST DID NOT WANT IT FOR YOURSELF. >> EXACTLY.
PEOPLE TRIED TO DECLARE ME AS AN ANTI-VAX. I'M NOT ANTI-VAX, NOR I'M PRO-VAX.
I'M PRO FREEDOM TO CHOOSE. >> THERE ARE SO MANY DIMENSIONS TO DJOKOVICH. HE MAY POLARIZE, BUT HE IS
REMARKABLY ACCESSIBLE. HE MAY BE TENNIS' APEX PREDATOR BUT IS EXCEEDLY POPULAR AMONG HIS PREY, THAT IS WITH OTHER
PLAYERS. HE'S WON MORE MONEY THAN ANY TENNIS PLAYER IN HISTORY, YET COFOUNDED A PLAYER ASSOCIATION
DESIGNED LARGELY TO EASE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF PRO TENNIS' RANK AND FILE. >> YOU UNDERSTAND HOW
EXTRAORDINARY THIS IS. WE TALK ABOUT IN TENNIS, EAT WHAT YOU KILL. WELL, YOU'RE HELPING THE OTHERS
EAT WHO ARE THE SAME FOLKS WHO WANT TO TAKE FOOD OFF YOUR TABLE. >> WELL, BECAUSE I HAVE PLENTY.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE MUCH MORE THAN WHAT I NEED. BUT WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE AROUND 200 AND LOWER RANKED IN THE
WORLD, THEY ARE STRUGGLING A LOT. THEY CAN'T AFFORD A COACH. THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE TRAVELS.
THEY SKIP TOURNAMENTS. MANY OF THEM LEAVE TENNIS WHO ARE SUPER TALENTED AND MAYBE CAPABLE OF REACHING GREAT
HEIGHTS AND SUCCESSES, BUT THEY JUST CAN'T MAKE IT. >> COMING FROM A SMALL COUNTRY AND MEAGER MEANS HIMSELF,
DJOKOVICH KNOWS THIS BETTER THAN ANYONE. WHEN HE RETURNED TO SERBIA IN SEPTEMBER, AFTER WINNING THE
U.S. OPEN, 20,000 FANS GREETED HIM. HE WAS OVERCOME BY IT ALL. DURING OUR VISIT TO BELGRADE
LAST NOVEMBER, WE NOTICED THE PROMINENCE OF THE CONQUERING HERO AND THE SPECULATION ABOUT WHERE HIS POPULARITY MIGHT TAKE
HIM NEXT. >> PRETTY OBVIOUS YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE LEADER OF THIS COUNTRY ONE DAY.
WHAT KIND OF A LEADER ARE YOU GOING TO BE? >> HOW DO YOU KNOW? YOU'RE MAKING SOME KIND OF
CLAIMS HERE THAT I'M NOT EVEN AWARE OF. >> I'M SEEING YOUR POPULARITY HERE.
YOU'LL HAVE AN EASIER TIME AT THE BALLOT BOX HERE THAN YOU WILL WINNING IN AUSTRALIA, AND YOU'VE DONE THAT TEN TIMES.
>> I LOVE HOW YOU ARE PHRASING AND FORMULATING THIS QUESTION. THE WAY YOU DO IT IS SO, YOU KNOW -- WELL, I DO NOT HAVE ANY
POLITICAL INSPIRATIONS AT THE MOMENT. I DON'T FEEL THAT THIS IS A WORLD OR AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE I
WOULD THRIVE. BUT I DO THINK THAT MY POPULARITY IN THE COUNTRY AND IN THE REGION CAN BE USED FOR SOME
OTHER THINGS, WHERE I CAN HELP CONTRIBUTE TO LIFE AND SOCIETY. >> SPECIFICALLY, HE AND HIS WIFE, JELENA, HAVE A FOUNDATION.
THIS GOES WAY BEYOND YOUR AVERAGE ATHLETE PHILANTHROPY, THAT'S BUILT TO RENOVATE MORE THAN 50 SERBIAN PRESCHOOLS AND
COUNTING. AS FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN, STEFAN, AGE 9, AND TARA, AGE 6, THEY PLAY A ROLE IN THEIR
FATHER'S TENNIS LONGEVITY. >> IS THE FACT YOUR KIDS ARE OLD ENOUGH TO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING OUT THERE, IS THAT A
REASON TO KEEP PLAYING? >> YES. IT IS. ACTUALLY YEARS AGO, I HAD A
DREAM THAT MY DAUGHTER AND MY SON WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH ME WIN WIMBLEDON TROPHY. THAT HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, SO
I WAS FORTUNATE TO EXPERIENCE THAT. >> MAYBE THE ULTIMATE CAREER EXTENDER, THE NEW RIVAL
CONTINUING TO STOKE HIS FIRE. SPAIN'S CARLOS ALCARAZ, NOW 21, IS THE ONLY PLAYER TO BEAT DJOKOVICH AT A MAJOR LAST YEAR.
>> HE IS AS COMPLETE A PLAYER AS I SEEN IN AGES. >> IT WAS A DISAPPOINTING DAY FOR YOU, BUT IN A WAY, THIS WAS
ENERGIZING THAT YOU HAD THIS OUNG CHALLENGER. >> YES, ABSOLUTELY, IT WAS. AND YOU'RE RIGHT BECAUSE THAT
PISSED ME OFF SO MUCH THAT I NEEDED TO WIN EVERYTHING ON AMERICAN SOIL, WHICH I DID. IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME
TO REINVENT MYSELF AND REALLY PUSH HARDER THAN I EVER DID. >>> COVERING DJOKOVICH'S RISE TO THE TOP.
>> I REALLY BELONG HERE. I BELONG AT THE TOP OF MEN'S TENNIS.