A high-ranking North Korean diplomat has defected to South Korea, Seoul has confirmed.
The defector, Ri Il Kyu, defected in Cuba in November last year. However, details about his defection only came to light recently as defectors to the south have to take courses to help integrate them into South Korean society.
Ryu had been a political counsellor in Havana and is believed to be the highest-ranking defector since 2016.
He was quoted as saying he had defected because of “disillusionment” with the Pyongyang regime, and a belief that a “bleak future” lay ahead for North Korea.
The defection comes at a time of heightened tensions between the two Koreas, with the North officially abandoning a long-term aim of reunifying with the South. North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has also labelled South Korea as his country’s “Enemy Number One”.