A high-profile North Korean diplomat stationed in Cuba has defected to the South, Seoul’s spy agency has confirmed to the BBC.
The political counselor is believed to be the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to escape to South Korea since 2016.
The diplomat defected in November, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said.
Details about defections of North Koreans often take months to come to light as the defectors must take courses on South Korean society before they are formally integrated.
…
His work reportedly involved stopping Havana from forging official diplomatic ties with Seoul. However, in February, the two governments did establish official relations, in what was seen as a setback for Pyongyang.
“Every North Korean thinks at least once about living in South Korea,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
North Korean defectors receive significant governmental support in South Korea, albeit some might argue it’s inadequate. The majority successfully integrate, securing job and attaining a moderate standard of living, although quite significant wage gap exists between defectors and South Korean-born citizens (approximately $500 avg. as of 2019). According to 2019 survey, 74.2% of defectors are satisfied with their lives in South Korea.
Still, some defectors struggle with adaptation, unfortunately leading to criminal behavior or, in extreme cases, suicide.
Obviously, those from privileged backgrounds in NK tend to adapt more easily. They often arrive with significant funds (with questionable source) and make a deal with the SK gov. to not ask about its origin in exchange for NK’s internal intel, which this guy obviously will have a lot.