South Korea has accused the North of killing or attempting to assassinate past defectors. (Parish of Farra di Soligo via AP, File) (Associated Press)The late Hwang Jang Yop remains as the highest-ranking North Korean official to defect from the North and seek asylum in South Korea. According to his neighbors, Lee after the shooting said, “spy, spy,” and held up two fingers, perhaps indicating the number of attackers. The last senior North Korean diplomat known to have defected is Thae Yong Ho, a former minister at the North Korean Embassy in London, who fled to South Korea in 2016. North Korea’s state media described Thae as “human scum” after his defection and claimed he was trying to escape punishment for serious crimes.

Source: Washington Post January 04, 2019 07:18 UTC