By Jun Ji-hye
A colonel in the North Korean army who was in charge of gathering intelligence on South Korea defected to Seoul last year, the government said Monday.
The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Unification both confirmed that the officer, whose identity was withheld, fled to the South last year after working at the Reconnaissance General Bureau, which is tasked with carrying out espionage missions against the South.
"The North Korean military officer's defection is a fact," defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told reporters, adding that the ministry cannot make public detailed information about him.
A source noted, "His rank in North Korea was equivalent to a two-star general in our military hierarchy. He was the highest-ranking military officer ever to defect to the South."
The confirmation came days after a group of 13 North Koreans — one male manager and 12 female waitresses — defected en masse to the South after fleeing a restaurant run by North Korea in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province in northeast China. They fled to South Korea via a third country.
It is rare for the government to publicly and officially confirm issues related to North Korean defectors.
Critics claim that the announcement appears to be a government tactic intended to attract conservative votes ahead of the April 13 general election, citing that the confirmation of the defection of the military officer was made two days ahead of the election even though the event occurred last year.
Sources said the colonel's defection will be helpful for the South Korean military, considering the value of the intelligence and importance of the duties handled by his bureau.
They said he shared details of the bureau's operations with authorities in the South right after he defected.
The North's Reconnaissance General Bureau deals with intelligence gathering and espionage operations in foreign countries, and is also responsible for cyber warfare.
The bureau is known to be behind Pyongyang's deadly torpedo attack on the South Korean naval frigate Cheonan in 2010 that killed 46 sailors, as well as an alleged cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2014.
The bureau was led by Kim Yong-chol from 2009 until Kim became the new secretary of the ruling Workers' Party in charge of inter-Korean affairs, replacing Kim Yang-gon, who, according to the North, died in a car accident in December.
The intelligence unit is one of the key organizations of the North Korean People's Army and reports directly to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to sources.
Another source familiar with the matter told reporters that a North Korean diplomat who had sojourned in an African country defected to South Korea in May last year with his wife and two sons. The diplomat reportedly told South Korean authorities that he sought asylum in order to avoid Kim Jong-un's "reign of terror."
More defections to come
Meanwhile, North Korea is reportedly moving to close some restaurants abroad out of concerns that more workers may flee after 13 North Koreans defected to the South last week.
The Kim Jong-un regime has operated some 130 restaurants in 12 countries as a means to earn hard currency. But they have reportedly suffered from financial problems after the U.N. Security Council and major nations slapped tougher sanctions on Pyeongyang.
Regarding the defections of the 13 North Koreans, a Chinese employee working at the restaurant told reporters that a total of 18 North Koreans — three male managers and 15 female waitresses — worked there. A government source noted that the remaining three to five North Koreans are believed to be currently staying in a third country, waiting to come to the South.
The Chinese employee said that the restaurant suspended its business on April 5, and then he heard that the female employees from the North had disappeared.
The Chinese employee added that disputes had recently occurred in the restaurant, during which managers scolded waitresses, apparently because the business was failing.
When asked whether such disputes were caused by sanctions imposed on the North, the employee said, "I am not sure."
But critics said that a series of announcements made by the government ahead of the election regarding North Korean defectors could be seen as an election strategy, citing that it is generally believed that issues involving national security are an effective way to win the hearts and minds of voters.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
A colonel in the North Korean army who was in charge of gathering intelligence on South Korea defected to Seoul last year, the government said Monday.
The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Unification both confirmed that the officer, whose identity was withheld, fled to the South last year after working at the Reconnaissance General Bureau, which is tasked with carrying out espionage missions against the South.
"The North Korean military officer's defection is a fact," defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told reporters, adding that the ministry cannot make public detailed information about him.
A source noted, "His rank in North Korea was equivalent to a two-star general in our military hierarchy. He was the highest-ranking military officer ever to defect to the South."
The confirmation came days after a group of 13 North Koreans — one male manager and 12 female waitresses — defected en masse to the South after fleeing a restaurant run by North Korea in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province in northeast China. They fled to South Korea via a third country.
It is rare for the government to publicly and officially confirm issues related to North Korean defectors.
Critics claim that the announcement appears to be a government tactic intended to attract conservative votes ahead of the April 13 general election, citing that the confirmation of the defection of the military officer was made two days ahead of the election even though the event occurred last year.
Sources said the colonel's defection will be helpful for the South Korean military, considering the value of the intelligence and importance of the duties handled by his bureau.
They said he shared details of the bureau's operations with authorities in the South right after he defected.
The North's Reconnaissance General Bureau deals with intelligence gathering and espionage operations in foreign countries, and is also responsible for cyber warfare.
The bureau is known to be behind Pyongyang's deadly torpedo attack on the South Korean naval frigate Cheonan in 2010 that killed 46 sailors, as well as an alleged cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2014.
The bureau was led by Kim Yong-chol from 2009 until Kim became the new secretary of the ruling Workers' Party in charge of inter-Korean affairs, replacing Kim Yang-gon, who, according to the North, died in a car accident in December.
The intelligence unit is one of the key organizations of the North Korean People's Army and reports directly to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to sources.
Another source familiar with the matter told reporters that a North Korean diplomat who had sojourned in an African country defected to South Korea in May last year with his wife and two sons. The diplomat reportedly told South Korean authorities that he sought asylum in order to avoid Kim Jong-un's "reign of terror."
More defections to come
Meanwhile, North Korea is reportedly moving to close some restaurants abroad out of concerns that more workers may flee after 13 North Koreans defected to the South last week.
The Kim Jong-un regime has operated some 130 restaurants in 12 countries as a means to earn hard currency. But they have reportedly suffered from financial problems after the U.N. Security Council and major nations slapped tougher sanctions on Pyeongyang.
Regarding the defections of the 13 North Koreans, a Chinese employee working at the restaurant told reporters that a total of 18 North Koreans — three male managers and 15 female waitresses — worked there. A government source noted that the remaining three to five North Koreans are believed to be currently staying in a third country, waiting to come to the South.
The Chinese employee said that the restaurant suspended its business on April 5, and then he heard that the female employees from the North had disappeared.
The Chinese employee added that disputes had recently occurred in the restaurant, during which managers scolded waitresses, apparently because the business was failing.
When asked whether such disputes were caused by sanctions imposed on the North, the employee said, "I am not sure."
But critics said that a series of announcements made by the government ahead of the election regarding North Korean defectors could be seen as an election strategy, citing that it is generally believed that issues involving national security are an effective way to win the hearts and minds of voters.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
