The trend of defections among North Korea's elite diplomats persists. Observations indicate that these officials, having gained insights into North Korea's realities through the Internet, were compelled to engage in foreign currency-earning activities during the COVID-19 lockdown. Their agitation increased notably as repatriation efforts resumed once the lockdowns were lifted.

This trend was reaffirmed through a media interview with Ri Il Gyu, a former North Korean embassy attaché in Cuba, who defected in November last year.

In an interview with the Chosun Ilbo, Ri said, "We can't talk about defectors among colleagues because it's forbidden, so instead, we do a lot of research."

"We go beyond simple curiosity and research their activities and lifestyles in detail," he added.

He also said, "I used to think I had a broad worldview since I had traveled extensively in North Korea, but when I came to South Korea, I realized I was really naive. I knew nothing about banking, finance, traffic rules, or automated systems."

Ryu Hyun Woo, a former North Korean acting ambassador to Kuwait who defected in 2019, also admitted to being ideologically influenced by internet use abroad. In a February interview with KBS, he said, "The betrayal from realizing that the Kim family, whom I had trusted like gods, had deceived us, made me extremely angry."

Ri's defection is the fourth officially confirmed case of a North Korean diplomat defecting since Kim Jong Un took power, following Thae Yong Ho, former deputy ambassador to the U.K. in 2016, Jo Song Gil, acting ambassador to Italy in 2019, and Ryu Hyun Woo, acting ambassador to Kuwait in 2019.

Unofficial defections of high-ranking North Korean officials and elites continue unabated. In November last year, around the same time as Ri's defection, a family of North Korean diplomats stationed in France also sought to defect. Initially, they expressed their intention to defect to our embassy, but reports indicate they are currently in the United States.

According to the South Korean Ministry of Unification, the number of elite defectors who entered the country last year was the highest since 2017, at around 10. Moreover, it has been reported that around 10 elites have entered South Korea this year. Although the total number of defectors last year was one-sixth of the 2017 figure (196 people), the evidence suggests that the number of elite defections is increasing, and the trend is rising.

This is believed to be due to the increased turmoil among diplomats as the North Korean government, which is accelerating the reopening of its borders closed due to COVID-19 since last August, strengthens its control due to sanctions against North Korea and economic difficulties caused by COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 period, North Korean workers and diplomats stationed abroad faced a significant crisis. With border closures preventing their return home, North Korea reportedly exerted intense pressure on these overseas personnel to generate higher profits as the country's trade imports diminished.

One factor driving defection is the growing difficulty for North Korean workers abroad to generate income as international sanctions against North Korea tighten. Recently, it has come to light that China has ordered all North Korean workers within its borders to return home. This move reflects a tightening of the previously close relationship between North Korea and its key ally, Russia, further isolating North Korea economically and politically.

Ri also revealed that diplomats are compelled to engage in illegal trading due to their low incomes. He said, "Some in North Korea refer to Foreign Ministry people as tie-wearing beggars. We don't have money compared to trade or special agency workers, but we must dress well in ties for external activities, hence the nickname."

Due to the long-term overseas stays caused by COVID-19, the standard of living has risen. Still, when faced with a situation where the authorities' control and pressure have been strengthened, especially for overseas dispatchers with young children and families, the psychological turmoil can only be great.

Thae Yong Ho, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the U.K. who defected, also cited his children's future issues and, more broadly, family issues as reasons for his defection.

In her autobiography A Pyongyang Woman from London, Thae's wife, Oh Hye Seon, writes, "A directive was issued in 2015, a year before the defection, to bring back the college student children of diplomats to Pyongyang." She adds, "We decided that it would be difficult for our children, who had been living in the U.K. for almost nine years, to live normally in North Korea."

The trend of defections among North Korea's elite diplomats persists. Observations indica …

North Korea's Elite Defectors Reveal Shocking Truths About Life Under Kim Jong Un