국정원 "北대사대리, 11월 초 공관 이탈해 부부 함께 잠적... 南에 연락 취한적 없어"<br /><br />A senior North Korean diplomat who was working for Pyeongyang's embassy in Italy is reportedly seeking asylum and is under protection of the Italian authorities.<br />Major reason for this decision, is believed to be children's education matters -- similar to why a former minister at the North's embassy in London, Thae Yong-ho, defected to South Korea in 2016.<br />Oh Jung-hee gets us up to speed with the developments. <br />A senior North Korean diplomat in Italy disappeared from the mission last year... and is reportedly seeking asylum.<br />On Thursday, South Korean newspaper Joongang Ilbo reported, citing diplomatic sources,... that Jo Song-gil, the charge d'affaires of the North's Embassy in Rome,... applied for personal security protection from the Italian government early December.<br />He and his family are currently under the protection of Italian authorities.<br />Personal security protection is a diplomatic procedure aimed to prevent one being repatriated while seeking asylum in a third country.<br />Throughout the day, the South Korean government declined to confirm the matter, saying they have no information regarding the report.<br />But the nation's intelligence agency briefed lawmakers on the situation on Thursday.<br />Accordingly, lawmakers said that Jo disappeared with his wife from embassy grounds in early November last year... before he was due to finish his term later that month.<br />It is not yet clear whether Jo is hoping to defect to South Korea.<br />Seoul's intellence agency told lawmakers... that there has been no attempt to contact the government by Jo, while his whereabouts are yet to be confirmed.<br />Jo was dispatched to Italy in May 2015... and started to run the North Korean mission there in October 2017,... as the Italian government expelled the North's ambassador Mun Jong-nam after Pyeongyang's sixth nuclear test.<br />It's believed that Jo decided to seek asylum,... after he was ordered to return home.<br />A major reason is deemed to be the education of his children.<br />There have been two senior North Korean diplomats who sought asylum in a third country.<br />A former minister at the North's embassy in London, Thae Yong-ho, defected to South Korea in 2016.<br />And back in 1997, former North Korean ambassador to Egypt, Jang Sung-gil, defected to the U.S. with his family and his brother who served as Pyeongyang's trade representative in Paris.<br />Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News. <br />
