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A North Korean diplomat who disappeared two years ago in Italy defected to the south
Joe Sung-gil, acting former North Korean ambassador who disappeared in 2018, has been living in the south since July 2019. On the other hand, there is concern for the life of his teenage daughter, who returned from Italy to the north at her request
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South Korea
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Wednesday, 07 October 2020, 21:13
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Photo: Reuters, Editing: Yardena Abodi-Fox
A North Korean diplomat who disappeared in Italy in 2018 has defected and has been living in South Korea ever since - some South Korean lawmakers have argued.
According to him, Joe Sung-Gil, Acting Ambassador of North Korea to Italy who disappeared in 2018, has been living in the South since July 2019. If his claim is found to be true, Joe will be the most senior defector from the closed country since 1997.
According to the South Korean parliamentary intelligence committee , There is concern for the life of Joe's teenage daughter who has returned to the north.
The Italian Foreign Ministry has made it clear that she was returned to the north in February 2019 at her request, after her parents disappeared.
Joe himself disappeared with his wife after leaving the embassy without prior notice in November 2018, shortly before the end of his term as Korean ambassador to Italy.
Reports at the time said the diplomat - a relative of senior North Korean officials - had sought refuge from several Western governments.
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Reports of Northern diplomat Joe Sung Gil, who has lived in South Korea since 2019 (Photo: AP)
On Tuesday, a South Korean politician from the opposition claimed in a post he posted on Facebook that Joe was in the south with his wife and living under protection.
On Thursday, the details were also confirmed by John Hai-chul, chairman of the intelligence committee of the National Assembly in Seoul. He repeatedly
demanded that
he reach South Korea. "South Korean intelligence agencies have not yet responded.
He added that Joe demanded that his location be kept secret." .
diplomat North Korean Other former Thea Yong-Ho - a former deputy ambassador to the former British and defected to South Korea in 2016, said that relatives of the fugitive may experience retaliation from the authorities. "where diplomat who defected to receive input determines the level of punishment to be given to his relatives who remained in North , "He clarified.
More on Walla!
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Departed from the embassy and disappeared: a North Korean diplomat in Italy fled with his family
To the full article
The daughter was returned to Pyongyang, at her request.
North Korean Embassy in Italy (Photo: AP)
"If he gets asylum in South Korea, he is defined as a traitor, as an infidel," said Thea, who has since become a legislator in Seoul.
He added that "no one knows what punishments will be imposed on members of a traitor's family."
Another opposition politician, Cho Tai-yong, who also served as deputy national security adviser, accused the government of leaking information about Joe, describing the affair as "an act devoid of humanitarian considerations regarding his daughter completely."
However, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wa said she was "surprised" by the news of Joe's whereabouts, and that she shared concerns about his daughter.
Many North Korean diplomats stationed abroad are often forced to leave family members behind in Pyongyang, a move that could prevent them from defecting.
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