North Korea diplomat defects to South Korea

A high-ranking North Korean diplomat has defected to South Korea.

Ryu Hyun-Woo was acting ambassador to Kuwait and is thought to have fled with his family in September 2019.

The reports said he wanted to ensure a better future for his children.

This echoes the case of Jo Song-Gil who was stationed in Italy and reported missing in 2018. 

He defected in 2019, and the case made public in 2020.

South Korean officials have refused to confirm the reports.

It is usually very rare for senior North Korean officials to defect although about 1,000 people defect from the country every year.