The NIS must have helped with defection considering he defected by taking a flight to South Korea:
This March 19, 2024, file photo shows the North Korean Embassy in Cuba. (Yonhap)
A North Korean diplomat who had been stationed in Cuba defected to South Korea last year, South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday, the latest in a small but growing number of defections by North Koreans in elite groups.
The National Intelligence Service confirmed a media report that Ri Il-gyu, who had served as the counselor of political affairs at the North’s embassy in Cuba, entered South Korea in November with his family. It did not provide further details.
The defection came as efforts were under way for South Korea to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. In February, the two countries forged formal ties in a surprise move widely seen as a setback to North Korea, which has long boasted about its brotherly ties with the Caribbean country.
It looks like there may soon be a plea deal for the dumb ass Soldier who ran into North Korea last year:
The first court appearance of a Fort Bliss soldier charged with desertion for running into North Korea last year has been postponed, according to the soldier’s attorney. Pvt. Travis King, 24, faces eight charges, including desertion, assault and soliciting child sexual abuse material. Attorneys are negotiating a possible plea agreement, said Frank Rosenblatt, the attorney for King. “These negotiations, I believe, will meet both the needs of Pvt. King and the Army to resolve this case,” Rosenblatt said Monday. “It does appear that because of that, the Article 32 hearing may no longer be necessary.”
Since the political opposition controls the National Assembly the Yoon administration is going to have to continue to deal with these types of shennanigans:
The presidential office said Monday it will not respond to an opposition-led parliamentary hearing addressing an online petition for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment.
The parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee voted last week to hold two hearings — on Friday and on July 26 — to deal with the petition, posted online on June 20, that calls for the National Assembly to propose an impeachment motion against Yoon over various allegations, including first lady Kim Keon Hee’s acceptance of a luxury handbag in 2022.
“We cannot respond to an unconstitutional and unlawful impeachment hearing,” a senior presidential official told Yonhap News Agency.
If South Korea develops their own nuclear powered submarines it would not be because of threats from North Korea, but instead preparing for war with China instead:
The chief of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has said the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) in South Korea could be considered in the future depending on its operational analysis, the presidential office said Sunday.
“From the standpoint of submarine warfare, I think it’s important as allies and partners to find the most efficient and effective ways to combine our capabilities in ways that most effectively defend our alliances and partnerships,” Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo said during an interview with the South Korean press Thursday on the runway of the Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.
“And if the operational analysis leads us to believe that, then we can move forward at a later date,” he added.
DP spokesperson Han Min-soo also sent best wishes Trump’s way and echoed the PPP’s sentiment that political terrorism must never be justified.
“The Democratic Party suffered an act of terrorism against former leader Lee Jae-myung, and we’ve been battling to fend off the ghosts of such terrible politics based on hatred,” Han said. “We strongly condemn political terrorism that destroys democracy, and we will be on the front lines of the battle against the politics of hatred.”
The conservative People Power Party however condemned the attack and mentioned the recent politcally inspired attacks on both Lee Jae-myung and PPP member Bae Hyun-jin;
Ho Jun-seok, spokesperson for the ruling People Power Party (PPP), wished Trump a speedy recovery, after the Republican presidential candidate had a bullet pierce the upper part of his right ear during a Saturday rally (U.S. time) in Pennsylvania.
“Political terrorism is a threat to democracy and cannot be tolerated for any reason,” Ho said in a statement. “Political terrorism is a product of extremism and politics of hate. Politicians have the duty to unite society through understanding and harmony.”
Ho said South Korean people have also been affected by political terrorism, citing attacks on former presidential candidate and ex-Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung and PPP lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin.
You can read more at the link, but back in 2006 there was also the slashing of then conservative parliamentary member Park Geun-hye who would go on to become President and in 2015 U.S. Ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert was slashed across the face as well. You can go even further back when Korean President Park Chung-hee was assassinated in 1979 as well.