South Korea says top North Korea diplomat defected to Seoul

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea said Wednesday, August 17, that North Korea’s deputy ambassador to Britain had defected to Seoul, in what amounts to a major loss of diplomatic face for Pyongyang.

The Unification Ministry said Thae Yong-Ho – the number-two at the North’s mission in London – had defected together with his family and they were now in the South Korean capital.

“They are under government protection and are going through necessary procedures with related institutions,” ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee told reporters.

Jeong declined to reveal Thae’s defection route, citing the diplomatic sensitivities involved for the concerned countries.

“On his reasons for defection, Minister Thae cited disgust with (North Korean leader) Kim Jong-Un’s regime, admiration for South Korea’s free, democratic system and the future of his family,” Jeong said.

Defections by North Korean diplomats of Thae’s stature are extremely rare.

South Korea’ JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, which first reported Thae’s defection on Tuesday, said he had been under pressure from Pyongyang to combat growing international criticism of North Korea’s human rights record.

North Korean defectors have been making headlines recently, largely due to an unusual group defection to Seoul in April by a dozen waitresses and their manager who were working at a North Korean-run restaurant in China.

In July, an 18-year-old student, who was in Hong Kong for an international maths contest, reportedly sought asylum in the South Korean consulate in the city.

The Unification Ministry said Thae’s defection reflected the loss of faith among North Korea’s elite in Kim Jong-Un’s leadership.

“Awareness that the North Korean regime has reached its limit is spreading and the solidarity of its ruling class is weakening,” Jeong said. – Rappler.com