North Korean diplomat may have defected in Italy

The top North Korean diplomat in Italy and his wife went into hiding in November in a possible defection, a South Korean member of Parliament said Thursday. The South Korean National Intelligence Service briefed Parliament on the possible defection of North Korean acting Ambassador to Italy Jo Song Gil on Thursday. Kim Min-ki, one of the lawmakers briefed, said the spy agency reported Jo and his wife vacated their official residence in early November before he wrapped up his service late that month. Kim did not comment on Jo’s current whereabouts, whether he and his wife were accompanied by any children, or whether the diplomat planned to defect to South Korea.

The South Korean JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported on Thursday that the couple applied for asylum in a Western country and remain protected by the Italian government.

North Korea has not commented on the case. If confirmed, Jo’s defection would be the latest high-profile exit from the communist country. The last senior diplomat known to have defected is Thae Long Ho, a former minister at the North Korean Embassy in London, who fled to South Korea in 2016.