A prominent, senior North Korean diplomat stationed in Cuba has defected to the South in the highest-ranking escape in years.
Seoul's spy agency confirmed to the BBC that he defected in November of 2023.
Details surrounding defections from North Korea can take months before being made public.
South Korea reportedly requires defectors to take courses on South Korean society before they are officially integrated.
The defector was a counselor overseeing political affairs at the North Korean embassy in Cuba, according to South Korean media reports.
The former diplomat has been identified as 52-year-old Ri Il-gyu.
Speaking with the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, Il-gyu stated the reason he chose to defect was because of "disillusionment with the North Korean regime and a bleak future."
His work allegedly involved blocking Havana from forging official diplomatic ties with Seoul; however, in February, the two governments did establish official relations, a major blow to Pyongyang.
"Every North Korean thinks at least once about living in South Korea," he said.
The last high-profile defection to the South was by Tae Yong-ho, North Korea's former deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, in 2016.
