By V. E. K. Madhushani, Jadetimes News
High Ranking Official Seeks Asylum Amid Heightened Tensions
A high profile North Korean diplomat stationed in Cuba has defected to the South, confirmed by Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS). This political counselor is believed to be the highest ranking North Korean diplomat to escape to South Korea since 2016.
The diplomat defected in November, according to the NIS. Details about such defections often take months to surface as defectors must undergo courses on South Korean society before formal integration.
South Korean media reports indicate that the defector was a counselor responsible for political affairs at the North Korean embassy in Cuba. The NIS has not confirmed this information. The Chosun Ilbo newspaper identified the diplomat as 52 year old Ri Il Kyu, stating that he defected due to "disillusionment with the North Korean regime and a bleak future."
Ri Il Kyu's work reportedly involved preventing Havana from establishing official diplomatic ties with Seoul. However, in February, Cuba and South Korea did establish official relations, marking a setback for Pyongyang. "Every North Korean thinks at least once about living in South Korea," Ri Il Kyu was quoted as saying.
The last known high profile defection to the South was that of Tae Yong ho in 2016, North Korea's former deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom.
On Sunday, South Korea held its first North Korean Defectors' Day ceremony. During the event, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged better financial support for North Korean defectors and tax incentives for companies hiring them.
President Yoon, a conservative, has adopted a more hawkish stance toward North Korea and foreign policy compared to his predecessor Moon Jae In. He supports sanctions against Kim Jong Un's regime and has promised to develop technology for a pre emptive strike on North Korea if it threatens Seoul.
This latest defection comes amid heightened tensions between the two Koreas. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has abandoned the goal of reunification with the South and recently branded Seoul as "Enemy Number One," a significant shift from six years ago when he met with then South Korean leader Moon Jae In.
Since then, rhetoric has intensified on both sides of the border. Both countries have floated propaganda balloons along their border towns, with those from the North containing trash and parasites. Earlier in June, Pyongyang claimed to have test fired an advanced nuclear warhead missile.
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