"잠적 北 조성길, 3국 거쳐 작년 7월 한국 입국"<br /><br />North Korea's former senior diplomat to Italy who disappeared in late 2018 has reportedly settled in South Korea.<br />A lawmaker in Seoul made the revelation today saying Pyeongyang's ex-high ranking official has been in South Korea since July last year.<br />Kim Dami has the details.<br />After having disappeared from Rome two years ago, a former senior North Korean envoy to Italy is reportedly now living in South Korea.<br />South Korean lawmaker Ha Tae-keung of the main opposition People Power Party said on Tuesday that Jo Song-gil came to the South last year under the protection of the South Korean government.<br />Multiple informed sources confirmed later that Jo arrived in South Korea through a third country.<br />South Korea's National Intelligence Service has yet to confirm Jo's status.<br />But if confirmed by the intel agency, Jo would be the highest ranking North Korean official to defect to South Korea in 21 years.<br />Under Kim Jong-un, who took power in 2011, the highest ranking official to defect before Jo... was the North's former number two diplomat in London, Thae Yong-ho, in August 2016.<br />Jo became the regime's acting ambassador to Rome after the Italian government kicked out the then-diplomat over the North's missile tests in September 2017.<br />Early last year, Italy's foreign ministry confirmed that Jo’s daughter was repatriated to the North at her request after her parents disappeared.<br />But his whereabouts had been unclear since November 2018...with reports suggesting he was seeking asylum in a third country.<br />Kim Dami, Arirang News.<br />
