North Korean Ambassador to Italy dead for lack of money to get medical treatment

By Lee Han-soo, Park Si-soo

North Korean ambassador to Italy Kim Chun-guk died of liver cancer last month because he could not afford medical treatment, sources said Tuesday.

He was diagnosed with the disease at a stage that it could be treated with intensive medical care.

“I know that North Korean Ambassador to Italy Kim Chun-guk recently died of liver cancer,” said a North Korean defector with knowledge of the issue. “As far as I know he was unable to afford to medical fees so he could not get proper medical treatment.”

According to sources, North Korean diplomats are paid $500-700 a month, far below the minimum wages in most European countries, including Italy.

Such chronic hardship has motivated many of them to make extra money through smuggling and other illegal activities.

Another defector said North Korean diplomats in Russia once made extra money by selling beans they harvested in the embassy compound. Diplomats in Germany did so by leasing part of the embassy building.

It is known that diplomats in Africa have smuggled rhino horns and sold them illegally.

“They (North Korean diplomats) prefer to work in underdeveloped countries rather than advanced ones because the former have many regulatory loopholes through which they can earn extra money,” a defector said.