North Korean diplomat at London embassy defects

A diplomat at the North Korean embassy in London has defected and fled abroad with his family, BBC News understands.

The diplomat, Thae Yong Ho, had served as deputy to the ambassador and was responsible for promoting the image of his country to British audiences. He had reportedly lived in the UK for 10 years with his wife and family and disappeared from his home in west London.

The South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reports:”A DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] diplomat in London is going through procedures to seek asylum in a third country.” The paper said that in this context “a third country” means one that is neither North nor South Korea.

“A high-level defection, if confirmed, will be deeply embarrassing for the regime,” said John Nilsson-Wright, an expert on Asian affairs at the London-based Chatham House think tank. “The intelligence benefits to the UK and its allies from such a defection are likely to prove valuable.”

[BBC]

This entry was posted in DPRK Government, North Korean refugee by Grant Montgomery.