A senior North Korean diplomat based in Cuba has defected to South Korea, marking the highest-profile defection from the North in nearly a decade. Ri Il-kyu, who served as a political counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, fled with his family to South Korea in November 2023. His defection was confirmed by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) and made public in an interview with the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.
Ri cited disillusionment with North Korea’s political system and personal grievances, including unfair job evaluations and denied medical treatment, as reasons for his defection. He revealed that he made the decision to flee after his request to travel to Mexico for medical treatment was denied. Ri’s defection involved purchasing flight tickets and informing his family just hours before their departure.
Ri’s defection is a significant blow to the Kim Jong-un regime, as he was involved in efforts to prevent South Korea and Cuba from establishing diplomatic ties—a relationship that was formalized in February 2023. Ri’s escape follows a history of high-profile defections, including those of other senior diplomats in recent years, highlighting ongoing dissatisfaction within North Korea’s elite.
In his interview, Ri also disclosed the fates of two senior North Korean diplomats, Ri Yong-ho and Han Song-ryol, who negotiated with the United States during Kim Jong-un’s summits with former President Donald Trump. Ri Yong-ho, a former foreign minister, was sentenced to a penal colony, while Han Song-ryol, a former deputy, was executed. These purges were reportedly linked to the diplomatic failures and internal power struggles within the North Korean regime.
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