Ri Il Gyu, who defected in November last year and entered South Korea, revealed that after North Korea signaled plans to reopen its borders due to COVID-19 in March and April last year, dozens of overseas personnel, including diplomats, attempted to defect—in an interview with Yonhap News conducted yesterday, Ri, who defected and entered South Korea in November, shared these insights.
Ri explained, “At that time, there was significant agitation, and many embassy staff, support personnel, and overseas workers tried to escape.” He noted that while some defectors succeeded, many faced dire consequences and were forcibly repatriated. He specifically mentioned that a North Korean mother who went missing in Vladivostok, Russia, last year was a family member of a Foreign Ministry employee and was forcibly returned to North Korea after failing to defect.
Ri explained that until he left Cuba, he submitted several reports and made various efforts to prevent diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba. He added that receiving his credentials as the Cuban ambassador was part of this intention, coming third after China and Mongolia following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ri assessed the North Korea-China relationship, stating, “It is clear that the North Korea-China relationship has cooled.” He cited the slow pace of border openings as evidence, explaining that North Korea prioritizes maximizing benefits from Russia over restoring relations with China. He also mentioned that North Korea believes China cannot abandon them.
Ri revealed that Kim Jong Un’s regime anticipates the reelection of former President Donald Trump (Republican presidential candidate) to achieve diplomatic relations and economic support with the U.S. He speculated that the North Korea-U.S. summit for Trump’s second term is being prepared under the leadership of the Foreign Ministry.
On the possibility of inter-Korean dialogue, Ri analyzed that movements toward a two-state separation were detected months before Kim Jong Un declared the inter-Korean relationship as hostile between the two states late last year. He noted that North Korean authorities issued directives forbidding overseas North Korean restaurants from accepting South Korean guests, prohibited using the term Republic of Korea in diplomatic missions, and blocked Hyun Jeong Eun, chairperson of the Hyundai Group, from visiting North Korea.
Ri defined North Korea’s younger generation as the Hallyu generation, criticizing the regime’s tyranny and fear of politics, including executions. He expressed optimism that the youth could become a powerful force for change in North Korea.
However, Ri stated that the likelihood of an early collapse of the North Korean regime is low. He pointed out that due to the regime’s fear tactics and collective punishment, North Korean citizens have no choice but to comply. He criticized external assessments predicting an early collapse as genuinely irresponsible. Nevertheless, he remarked, “Dictatorships are not eternal and will eventually collapse,” emphasizing that “our mission is to accelerate this rather than just waiting for it.”
In North Korea’s diplomatic hierarchy, a political counselor is a high-ranking diplomat position, primarily in embassies or consulates, similar to the title counselor in South Korea. This position involves managing diplomatic relations with the host country and assisting the ambassador or consul general.
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