- Home
- North...
North Korea's envoy defected to South Korea, reports say
Senior North Korean diplomat Ri Il Kyu was in Cuba before he reportedly defected to South Korea with his family last year. He is the highest-ranking official known to have escaped to the South since 2016.
A top North Korean diplomat based in Cuba defected to South Korea along with his family in November, South Korean media reported on Tuesday.
52-year-old Ri Il Kyu escaped to South Korea because he was disillusioned with North Korea's political system, he told South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.
South Korea's spy agency, National Intelligence Service, also confirmed the media reports but did not provide further information.
The defection of the senior diplomat makes him the highest-ranking official known to flee to South Korea since 2016, when Tae Yong Ho, then a minister at the North Korean embassy in London, defected to the South.
Why did Ri defect?
In an exclusive interview with Chosun Ilbo, Ri said he took the decision after Pyongyang rejected his request to seek medical treatment in Mexico following an injury, when he could not receive the necessary treatment in Cuba.
He claimed as well to have received unfair performance reviews after he rejected a senior foreign ministry official's demand for bribes in 2019.
Yonhap news agency reported that Ri decided to escape to South Korea after disputes with North Korean Foreign Ministry officials about his job evaluations, citing an anonymous government source.
"Every North Korean thinks at least once about living in South Korea," Ri told Chosun Ilbo. "Disillusionment with the North Korean regime and a bleak future led me to consider defection."
Ri's tasks at the North Korean embassy in Cuba included blocking Seoul and Havana from forging diplomatic ties, Chosun Ilbo reported. Relations between the two countries were established in February.
"I bought flight tickets and called my wife and kid to tell them about my decision, six hours before the defection. I didn't say South Korea, but said, let's live abroad," he told local media.
South Korea's unification ministry, which oversees inter-Korean affairs, has yet to confirm reports of Ri's defection.
Sharp decline in number of defectors
Ri's defection is the latest case of a high-profile escape to the South.
About 34,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the Korean War in the 1950s. However, fewer North Koreans have recently been able to successfully cross over because of stricter border security and high broker fees, experts say.
Only 196 North Koreans defected to the South last year, down from as many as 2,700 a decade ago, according to South Korea's official data.
Most of the defectors whose cases come to light are those who have lived overseas for many years, human rights activists say.
mfi/rmt (AFP, AP, Reuters)
- https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/north-korea-s-envoy-defected-to-south-korea-reports-say/ar-BB1q39pL?ocid=00000000
Related
Tenerife: The 4 most beautiful beaches to soak up the sun on the island
Just 4 hours from Paris, the island of Tenerife attracts many travellers every year looking for a change of scenery and exotic landscapes. Here's a selection of 4 beaches to try out during your next trip to the island.
NewsUnderstanding the psychology of distraction can help you stay on task
It's easy to stumble down a rabbit hole when we consider the action beneficial like checking emails, stock prices, or sports scores.However, if these seemingly beneficial actions take the place of something else we intended to do, they're just distractions. And we've been moved to these distraction as a psychological response to discomfort.The truth is that distraction comes from within, and time management is just another form of pain management. Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life List Price: $26.95 New From: $15.85 in Stock Used From: $15.45 in Stock
NewsDiscover the most beautiful town on Lake Como, a gem you need to visit
The pearl of northern Italy, Lake Como is the very embodiment of poetry. Among its many surrounding villages, one stands out for its charm and picture-perfect scenery. Discover Bellagio, considered the most beautiful village on Lake Como.
NewsAMX Javelin: The $500,000 Muscle Car
DESIGNED in the late 60s by Richard Teague, the father of the Jeep Cherokee XJ and Pacer – take a look at the award-winning ‘Javelin’ car. Brothers Mike and Jim Ring are known for having dedicated 4,700 hours to a 1969 Dodge Charger. Now, they’ve taken their passion into doing major bodywork and horsepower changes to high-end muscle car 1972 AMX Javelin. “Too much horsepower in a cool old vintage car, it’s a freak,” Mike said. According to the Ring brothers, the Javelin is an unusual choice for car enthusiasts. “If you talked to all the Ford Mustang guys and all the Camaro guys back then, the AMX Javelin was probably the ugly duckling” said Jim Ring. This did not stop the Ring brothers, and they set about an epic year-long project that cost them a whopping $500,000.
NewsIdyllic Midwestern enclave named America's best
Americans looking for a idyllic small town to take a vacation in are in luck as a new study has named this Nebraska town as the best - with only local running the show.
NewsChicken Pathia Recipe Restaurant Style Chicken Curry Chicken Recipe Curry Recipe Neelam
Learn How To Make Chicken Pathia Recipe, a Restaurant Style Chicken Curry Recipe from Chef Neelam Bajwa only on Get Curried.
NewsWhich islands to visit off of the Amalfi coast?
Naples is the ideal starting location from which to explore these fascinating Mediterranean islands. Each offers a unique experience, steeped in Italian culture, natural beauty and local hospitality.
NewsRattled Putin launches heaviest missile strike against Ukraine so far
Explosions thundered across Ukraine in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Kremenchuk, Vinnytsia, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk.
News