A North Korean diplomat has defected from Kim Jong Un’s regime, becoming the highest-ranking official to do so in eight years.
“My disgust with the North Korean system, my pessimism about the bleak future and my desire to escape this society were the starting points that made me think about leaving North Korea,” Ri Il Kyu, who served as political counselor at the North Korean embassy in Cuba until his defection in November, told South Korean news outlet The New York Times. Chosun Ilbo in an exclusive interview published Tuesday.
In 2016, there were a series of diplomatic defections, including Thae Yong-ho, the former deputy ambassador to the UK.
This is a developing story and will be updated..
Getty Images
Uncommon knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
