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Tue, October 3, 2023 | 05:42
-------------------------
N. Korean intelligence colonel fled to the South
북한 엘리트층 잇단 탈북…김정은 체제 불안 커졌나
Posted : 2016-04-11 16:53
Updated : 2016-04-11 21:54
Jun Ji-hye
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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



북한 엘리트층 잇단 탈북…김정은 체제 불안 커졌나

북한군 출신 최고위급 정찰총국 대좌 망명은 체제동요 징후
대북 전문가 '공포정치 여파와 北체제 불안정성 보여주는 것'
'김정은 정권의 안정성에 큰 타격을 주기 힘들다'는 평가도

인민군 고위 장교와 외교관, 외화벌이 일꾼 등 북한 내 엘리트층이 잇따라 탈북한 것으로 알려지면서 북한 '김정은 체제' 내부의 불안 요소가 커지고 있는 게 아니냐는 관측이 제기되고 있다.

특히 지난달 초 유엔 안전보장이사회의 대북 제재 결의 이후 외화벌이 일꾼 중심으로 동요가 커지고 있고, 물가상승 등 경제상황 악화로 북한 주민들도 불만을 토로하는 것으로 전해졌다.

지난해 탈북해 국내 입국한 정찰총국 출신의 인민군 대좌(우리의 대령)는 지금까지 탈북한 북한군 출신 중 최고위직으로 알려졌다.

북한 사정에 정통한 한 대북 소식통은 11일 '정찰총국의 대좌는 인민군 일반부대의 중장(별 2개·우리의 소장)급에 해당하는 직위로 볼 수 있다'며 '북한 장교가 탈북해 국내 입국한 사례는 과거에도 있지만, 이 정도 고위급이 한국으로 망명한 것은 처음'이라고 밝혔다.

북한군 장성이 탈북해 국내에 입국한 사례는 아직 없는 것으로 알려졌다.

특히 정찰총국은 대남공작을 담당하는 북한 내 핵심기관이라는 점에서 이 기관 핵심 간부의 망명은 더욱 주목을 받고 있다.

김정은 국방위원회 제1위원장에게 직보하는 핵심 기관인 정찰총국 출신 대좌의 한국 망명은 북한 체제의 불안정성을 보여주는 징후인 것으로 정부 당국은 평가했다.

정준희 통일부 대변인은 정례브리핑에서 북한 정찰총국 소속 대좌의 한국 망명과 관련해 '그런 사실이 있지만 구체적인 내용은 제가 말씀드릴 수 없다'면서도 '이런 부분들이 부분적으로는 (북한) 권력층 이상징후의 하나의 표본은 되지 않을까 생각한다'고 말했다.

최근 북한 외교관과 외화벌이 일꾼들의 한국행도 김정은 체제의 불안요소를 보여주는 사례로 꼽힌다.

재작년 태국 주재 북한 외교관이 한국으로 망명한 데 이어 작년 5월 아프리카 주재 북한 외교관도 한국행을 선택한 것으로 전해졌다.

지난 7일 국내 입국한 북한 해외식당 종업원 13명도 외화벌이 일꾼으로 출신 성분이 좋고 북한 내에선 중산층 이상인 것으로 알려졌다.

한 북한 전문가는 '김정은 체제 출범 이후 북·중 국경지역 통제가 강화하면서 탈북민 수는 줄었지만, 해외 근무자를 중심으로 엘리트층의 탈북은 오히려 늘었다'며 '이는 김정은 공포통치의 여파와 북한 체제의 불안정성을 보여주고 있다'고 설명했다.

실제 귀순에 성공한 북한 해외식당 종업원들은 북한의 4차 핵실험과 장거리 미사일 발사를 계기로 취해진 국제사회의 대북제재로 북한에는 희망이 없다고 보고 탈북을 결심한 것으로 전해졌다.

탈북 종업원 A씨는 탈북 계기를 묻자 '최근 대북제재가 심해지면서 북한 체제에는 더는 희망이 없다고 보고 희망이 있는 서울로 탈출하게 됐다'고 진술한 것으로 알려졌다.

통일부는 국제사회의 대북제재 효과가 나타나면서 북한 주민 사이에서 김정은 체제에 대한 불만이 고개를 들고 있다는 분석 결과를 내놓기도 했다.

통일부 당국자는 전날 기자들과 만나 '경제상황이 악화하면서 북한 주민의 불안과 불만 등이 사회동요로 이어질 수 있는 움직임이 일부 보이고 있다'며 ''핵실험에 쓸 돈으로 쌀 한 자루씩 공급해주면 절을 하겠다'거나 '배급도 안 주면서 위성은 무슨 위성이냐'는 주민여론 관련 첩보가 있다'고 밝혔다.

반면 과거에도 있었던 북한 엘리트층의 탈북을 김정은 체제의 불안 요소로까지 해석하는 것은 과도하다는 지적도 있다.

정성장 세종연구소 통일전략연구실장은 '앞으로도 북한의 다른 해외식당 종사자의 탈북이 이어질 수 있겠지만, 그것이 김정은 정권의 안정성에까지 큰 타격을 주기는 힘들 것'이라고 평가했다.

정 실장은 북한 정찰총국 소속 대좌의 탈북과 관련해서는 '북한군 대좌라면 한국의 대령급에 해당하는 인사로서 지금까지 한국에 들어온 북한군 간부 중에는 가장 높은 계급'이라며 '그러나 지금까지 한국에 북한군의 장성급 간부가 한 명도 들어오지 않은 것은 북한군 고위 간부들에 대한 통제가 완벽한 것은 아니지만, 여전히 효과적으로 이루어지고 있음을 보여주는 것'이라고 진단했다. (연합뉴스)
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