A high-profile diplomat from North Korea’s embassy in Cuba defected to South Korea in November, Seoul’s spy agency confirmed to the BBC on Tuesday.
Details of North Korean defections often take months to emerge, as those defecting are required to take courses on South Korean society before formally integrating.
South Korean media reports say the fugitive was a counselor responsible for political affairs at the North Korean embassy in Cuba. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has not confirmed the report to the BBC.
The newspaper “Chosun Ilbo” He said he was able to interview the diplomat, whom he identified as Ri Il Kyu, 52.
According to the Unification Ministry, about 10 members of the North Korean elite, including diplomats, expatriates and students, defected last year, representing the highest figure since 2017.
North Korean diplomats are traditionally seen as members of the Pyongyang regime’s elite, so their defection is raising questions about the stability and sustainability of the regime’s foreign service.
Closing embassies
The recent wave of defections has coincided with the North’s decision to close several diplomatic missions last year.
As of February, North Korea had 44 diplomatic missions abroad (39 resident embassies, two consulates general and three representative missions), compared to 53 that he had in 2022.
The embassies in Spain, Nepal, Angola, Uganda, Hong Kong and Libya are among those that have closed their doors.
The South Korean Ministry of Unification has attributed these measures to the difficulties caused by international sanctions imposed on North Korea.
However, experts also see these decisions as a pragmatic effort at restructuring by the country.
“The recently closed diplomatic missions were established in the 1960s and 1970s, when North and South Korea were competing for votes within the United Nations,” Nam Sung-wook, director of the Institute for National Unification and Convergence at Korea University, told the BBC.
“But now that is no longer the case, North Korea is redirecting its diplomatic efforts toward countries with anti-American stanceswhere they can make money and evade UN sanctions,” he added.
Nam also said North Korean diplomats have to find half of their fees independently, but UN sanctions have made it difficult to obtain hard currency, “leading to increased pressure from Pyongyang and defections.”
The economic hardships faced by North Korean diplomats have been well documented in testimonies from people who defected to South Korea.
In an interview with the South Korean newspaper “Chosun Ilbo”defector Ri Il-gyu crudely described North Korean Foreign Ministry workers as “beggars with ties”.
This metaphor underlines the glaring disparity between the high social status of diplomats and their low remuneration.
Fear of punishment
Amid these financial challenges, diplomats’ responsibilities are intensifying.
Kwak Gil-sup, president of the One Korea Center who previously worked as a North Korea analyst at the NIS, said foreign service officers are subject to increasing scrutiny and disciplinary checks because of “Kim Jong Un’s advocacy of the two-Korean policy.”
“Diplomats now feel threatened and are more worried about the future of their families”he assured.
The establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and South Korea earlier this year, the first in 65 years, may also have added pressure on North Korean officials stationed in Cuba.
Before the agreement, Cuba was considered one of Pyongyang’s oldest allies.
Thae Yong-ho, who was North Korea’s deputy ambassador to Britain when he defected in 2016, revealed on Facebook that he was close to Ri Il-gyu.
“Ri’s last major task was to prevent the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and South Korea”wrote.
“It tried to enforce Pyongyang’s instructions but said it had no chance given Cuba’s growing inclination toward South Korea,” Thae wrote.
There have also been reports of serious repercussions for diplomats involved in the failed 2019 US-North Korea summit, including deportations and executions.
The consequences of leaving
Defections among North Korean diplomats have occurred since the 1990s and the actual numbers are likely higher due to unreported cases.
Kwak said early defectors, such as Ko Young-hwan, who was first secretary at the North Korean embassy in Congo and fled to South Korea in 1991, have significantly influenced later diplomats.
“If you are a North Korean diplomat, you have probably seen (the Thae case)”Kwak said.
“This case showed that if you defected, you could still be active in South Korea and become a diplomat, an elected legislator and a member of the ruling party’s Supreme Council,” he added.
On Thursday, AP reported that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed Thae Yong-ho as vice minister, making the North Korean dissident the first of hundreds of defectors to reach such a high position within the South’s government apparatus.
For North Korean diplomats already stationed abroad, the opportunity to defect is considered more likely compared to ordinary citizens.
However, like other North Koreans, they face the challenge of not being able to guarantee the safety of their families in North Korea.
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