North Korea’s former No. 2 diplomat in Cuba describes his dramatic, swift defection

Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Ri Il Gyu, North Korea’s former No. 2 diplomat in Cuba, has resettled in South Korea. He says he fled to South Korea with his family in November in frustration over his highly repressive, corrupt homeland. He told The Associated Press that he finished all necessary prep work for the defection alone and told his family about the plan only eight hours before they left Cuba. Ri was a political counselor at the North’s Embassy in Cuba. His defection was made public in July, and could prompt other diplomats to follow. That would be a blow to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.