A high-profile North Korean diplomat stationed in Cuba has defected to the South, Seoul’s spy agency has confirmed to the BBC.

The political counselor is believed to be the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to escape to South Korea since 2016.

The diplomat defected in November, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said.

Details about defections of North Koreans often take months to come to light as the defectors must take courses on South Korean society before they are formally integrated.

His work reportedly involved stopping Havana from forging official diplomatic ties with Seoul. However, in February, the two governments did establish official relations, in what was seen as a setback for Pyongyang.

Every North Korean thinks at least once about living in South Korea,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.

    • @el_abuelo@lemmy.ml
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      5 months ago

      Happy to oblige.

      Basically the North is a totalitarian state in which one family has retained absolute control of the state and its population. They have prioritised military programmes and their nuclear ambitions above the needs of their people and thus they have one of the worst economies and their people are often starving and diseased.

      Recently they have also been arming Russia to help with their war of aggression against the innocent people of Ukraine.

      All of this is in contrast to South Korea which is a democratic country with one of the world’s strongest economies which provides for a very good standard of living for its population.

      There is much more, I’m sure, but these are the first things that pop to mind and the reason why the North is not the best Korea, and infact the South should be considered the Best Korea.