UCLA's Thrill-Seeking Chris Jeon Isn't Leaving Libya Just Yet, Correspondents Say

Screenshot (YouTube)

You always hope this doesn't happen to your kid.

It wasn't enough for UCLA's thrill-seeking Chris Jeon to go rock-climbing or huff paint. He wanted to pick up an AK-47 and join the Libyan rebellion. So he grabbed his Lakers jersey and bought a one-way ticket to Cairo — and perhaps foolhardy fame.

There were reports that the rebels didn't want him after all, but now some of the foreign correspondents stationed in Libya are saying that Jeon isn't leaving without a fight.

Bradley Hope, the foreign correspondent for an Australian paper The National who wrote the first profile of Jeon has been keeping his followers on Twitter abreast of Jeon's whereabouts. He sent out a tweet this morning:

Last we heard, he was still a celebrated mascot of the rebels, going from brigade to brigade. But info is hard to get

Hope has been asking rebels what they think about Jeon's mission and they told him this:

There was no sign of rebels being "fed up" with him. We talked to about five diff commanders and soldiers

It's anecdotal, but one guy made it sound like Jeon had been fully accepted:

And one guy, who had never met him, told us in all seriousness that Chris wasn't American anymore. "He's Libyan"

Kristen Chick, a foreign correspondent who has also been closely following Jeon's story last heard that he was in Ras Lanuf last night. This is where he slept:

For a recap of Chris Jeon's background, the Atlantic Wire combed his Facebook account:

Jeon's Facebook profile shows a photo of him at what the LA Weekly identified as the Coachella music festival. He's also a Facebook fan of The Big 4 festival, which has Metallica, Slayer, Megadeath, and Anthrax playing at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 14. So we can safely assume he's a rock fan and a festival goer. But the only artist he likes on Facebook is Michael Jackson, so go figure. His profile also shows he's a fan of Zhenya Tabakov, a Russian 7-year-old killed while trying to protect his sister from a rapist, and University of Fondwa, in Haiti, so it seems he has at least some global, social conscience. We're guessing he can handle himself in a fight, as he's a fan of Dynamix Martial Arts, a mixed martial arts studio, and LA Boxing. Also, he's a member of Texts From Last Night - UCLA, but unfortunately hasn't posted anything.

According to his Facebook, Jeon is from Cypress, a suburb in Orange County just east of Long Beach. His Campus Buddy profile says he graduated in 2008 from Capistrano Valley High School, also in Orange County but further south, close to the San Diego County line.

Here's a video of Jeon hobnobbing with the rebels:

Jeon's parents are probably freaking out right now, but they should be happy to know that at least he's wearing sunblock.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@laist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Emma G. Gallegos in News on September 3, 2011 2:30 PM

Comments [rss]

George Terterian

this comment by one of Jeon's fans says it all:

"Good on you Chris! I hope you live to tell your story and earn millions from your experiences with the rebels." This is what its all about, the publicist, the book deal, maybe a reality show? This kid is there for the ink, the notoriety, not the blood or the cause. If he believed in the cause he'd have been there when it was tough, not the inevitable end. If he believed in this cause, he'd support them without trying to get ink for himself. This is the new USA, reality shows, instant celebrities who have done little more than a sex tape or some other shameless self-promotion. Soak it up, get your 15 minutes, Kato Kaelin, Kim Kardashian, Joe the Plumber . . . create a story then sell it. He'll live to tell the story, because he has no intention of being in harm's way. Welcome to youtube America.

wcoastbo

@ Mr. Terterian: I believe you're misreading the situation... it appears you've taken in too much TV given the examples cited. It doesn't seem Mr. Jeon is there for notoriety, but it is an inevitable outcome after a couple of western journalist came upon him. If he were there for exposure he'd have been tweeting the entire time, yet a single internet post from him has not surfaced. Please cite an example where Mr. Jeon has shamelessly promoted his trip. If so, I will take back my words and give you credit for having correctly assessed the situation. It seems Chris Jeon is there for adventure/life experience.

BTW just because I'm not negative about the situation doesn't mean I'm a "fan" of this person I've never met, I don't consider myself a "fan" of anyone in particular. The act in itself is highly risky and the possibilty of getting a reality show deal out of it very low, if you knew me you'd say I'm risk averse and would be against puttings one's life in danger for such purposes. I am a fan of doing things one desires, even as others disapprove. You do have a way of putting words into other's mouths. It is my hope that Mr. Jeon comes back alive and able to tell his story of adventure... a possible outcome of doing so may garner him a small fortune. This is not a bad thing.

Tim Bell

I think it's awesome! I wish I could be fighting with the Libyans for their cause . It's truly a "real revolution" like he says.

Ray Rakubian

Shame on you, LAist! Jeon's rocking an LA Lakers THROWBACK jersey for Jerry West, basis for the NBA's logo. It might be fun to phone the Lakers front office & see what "Mr. Clutch" makes of all this. If Ernest Hemingway could hang in Spain with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade then Jeon's obviously a member of the Linkin Park Brigade http://www.cheap2012nfljerseys...

Emma_Gallegos

Fixed it! (But there goes our underdog theory). Any Hemingway-esque dispatches will be duly noted.

wcoastbo

I know a lot of people are saying negative things about Mr. Jeon and his motives, I'm not one of them. Whatever his motivations are, it's not my place to judge or speculate, I can say he knows how to live life. He obviously has personality and knows how to get the trust of complete strangers or the Libyan fighters would not have been as welcoming or friendly towards him. It seems these ragtag fighters have taken him in as their own... way beyond tolerating this outsider who looks very out of place. I'll go out on a limb and say that Chris Jeon will have a greater positive influence with the Libyan people, particularly the rebel fighters who he contact with, than any politician the State Dept will send out in the future. This goes to show you that the Libyans are not anti-American (as far as Americans as a whole), it seems they can look past any bias they might have had about us and see that this one American kid is genuine enough to keep around (with a gun at that!). Too bad we as Americans can't be as unbiased about individual Muslims as has been shown to Mr. Jeon. Good on you Chris! I hope you live to tell your story and earn millions from your experiences with the rebels.