North Korea’s defecting ambassador an intelligence gold mine
North Korea’s interim ambassador to Italy Jo Song Gil has family connections extending to the very highest level of the regime
By Andrew Salmon January 3, 2019 5:58 PM (UTC+8)
North Korea’s interim ambassador to Italy, Jo Song Gil, who has reportedly defected, could prove to be a treasure trove of information about a secretive body at the very heart of the North Korean regime, Asia Times has learned.
Because of his family background and connections, his defection would be tremendously sensitive in South Korea, which is now in the midst of a fragile and fraught engagement process with North Korea.
South Korean newspaper the Joongang Ilbo reported the defection on Thursday, saying that Jo, 48, had sought asylum in December. Yonhap news agency reported that Jo had, in fact, left his post in Rome in November.
http://www.atimes.com/article/north-koreas-defecting-ambassador-an-intelligence-gold-mine/
