Acting NK ambassador to Italy seeks to defect: report
North Korea’s top diplomat in Italy sought asylum from an unidentified Western country with his family, JoongAng ilbo reported Thursday.
Jo Song-gil, the acting North Korean ambassador to Rome, is currently under protection of Italian authorities upon his request, the newspaper reported, citing an unnamed diplomatic source.
Jo was appointed as the acting ambassador after Italy expelled then Ambassador Mun Jong-nam in October 2017 in protest of a nuclear test by the North in violation of UN resolutions.
The North Korean embassy in Italy, which opened in July 2000, consisted of a team of four people: Jo and another diplomat handling political affairs, plus two officials dealing with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.
Jo is believed to be a son or son-in-law of one of the highest-level officials in the North Korean regime, the daily said, citing an unnamed North Korea expert.
It didn’t look like North Korea was going to send an ambassador to Italy anytime soon, Yonhap News Agency said, citing officials at the South Korean Embassy in Italy.
Thae Yong-ho was the last senior North Korean diplomat to defect, leaving his post as deputy ambassador in London in 2016. Thae said he sought asylum to give his children a better future after the North ordered him to return.
Despite thawing inter-Korean relations at the state level, the South Korean Embassy in Italy has had no official contact with North Koreans over the past few years.
Even when they came across each other at international organizations such as the FAO, the North Koreans appeared to avoid South Koreans, they told Yonhap.
The South Korean government, including the presidential office, said it cannot confirm whether Jo has sought asylum.
By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)
相关推荐
-
Gastro Obscura's Guide to Where to Eat in Nashville
-
Doorbell camera records man confessing to murder, police say
-
Rick Astley getting rickrolled was Reddit's most upvoted post in 2020
-
NK slams UN chief's comment on its 'unlawful' nuclear weapons program
-
18 Slightly Submerged Architectural Wonders
-
Apple's pricey Mac Pro is also the company's most repairable item in forever
- 最近发表
-
- Courting Disaster
- US House passes resolution denouncing socialism, N. Korean dictators
- 连山年货广州热推!喊全国人民选购生态有机的年味山货!
- Newcastle face moment of truth as Premier League returns
- Essential Apps to Install on your Windows PC or Mac
- Kentucky Kroger gunman allegedly says "whites don't shoot whites."
- 广东年货大摸底!过了腊八就是年,邀您晒年货迎龙年
- Taylor Swift announces new album 'evermore' dropping tonight. Yes, another one!
- 29 Dive Bars, Saloons, and Taverns Where the Vibe Is Unbeatable
- Stephen King live
- 随机阅读
-
- 采购商+48,英德红茶在泉城济南蹭蹭涨粉
- Families of 2 S. Koreans detained in NK urge UN efforts for repatriation
- NK slams UN chief's comment on its 'unlawful' nuclear weapons program
- Murray marks return to top 100 with Bublik win
- 10 Big Misconceptions About Computer Hardware
- Murray marks return to top 100 with Bublik win
- NK human rights groups urge president to allow loudspeaker broadcasts, leaflets
- N. Korean media airs documentary touting successful COVID response
- The AI stock bubble has burst. Here's how we know.
- 南农晨读|广东年货大摸底
- Google adds authoritative info on COVID
- 茂名化州启动高素质农民培训计划,超200名农民参加
- [Graphic News] Average book price nears 20,000 won
- You can now share tweets directly to Snapchat Stories
- 深夜驾车路遇一头“狮子”民警查实是一只大型犬
- Uber algorithms, Brazil’s political media, and a farewell to Julia Turner.
- 中山古镇:到苏炳添家乡看“村BA”,来一场说走就走的美食之旅
- Google adds authoritative info on COVID
- The wholesome construction worker influencer was just an ad, because nothing is sacred
- End of an era: 2020 brings Tesla's federal tax credit to zero
- 搜索
-
- 友情链接
-