High-Ranking North Korean Diplomat Defects to South Korea

A senior North Korean diplomat, Ri Il Kyu, defected to South Korea in November. He was the counsellor at North Korea's embassy in Cuba. Ri fled due to disillusionment with the regime. His defection marks the highest-profile escape since 2016. The South's unification ministry has declined to confirm the report.

A senior North Korean diplomat based in Cuba defected to South Korea in November, a South Korean newspaper reported on Tuesday. This is the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to escape to the South since 2016.

Ri Il Kyu, 52, served as a counsellor at the North Korean embassy in Cuba. Before fleeing, his duties included preventing North Korea's rival South Korea and Cuba from establishing diplomatic ties, according to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper. The two countries ultimately forged relations in February.

Details on North Korean defections often emerge after several months due to clearance procedures. Ri, who joined North Korea's foreign ministry in 1999, was recognized by Kim Jong Un for negotiating the release of a North Korean ship detained in Panama in 2013.

(With inputs from agencies.)