‘I hated being asked where I’m from,’ ex-North Korean diplomat tells Seoul lawmakers

Ri Il-kyu, the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to defect to South Korea since 2016, says he “felt humiliated” every time he had to reveal which Korea he was from when he was serving overseas missions.

Speaking at a National Assembly event hosted by ruling People Power Party lawmakers on Monday, he said North Korean diplomats “absolutely hate being asked which country they are from.”

Ri served as a counselor for political affairs at the North Korean embassy based in Cuba before he escaped last November.

“When North Korean diplomats are sent abroad, the first thing they do is take the pin (of their flag) off the collar,” he said.

“It is the most heartbreaking thing, to be ashamed of the country you represent and to be painfully aware of how people from other countries view you. Knowing what I know, I could not be proud of my country.”

He said he “felt humiliated having to say ‘North’ every time someone asked, ‘North or South?’”

He said he found his presence to be unwelcome in diplomatic communities. Even countries that have ties with North Korea, like Cuba, did not seem to appreciate the association, he said.

“I would meet with my counterparts and other diplomatic officials, and I could tell they were only begrudgingly listening to what I had to say, which was all propaganda,” he said.

Despite the reality faced by North Korean diplomats, he said North Korea would often use state media to portray the other side as having made supportive remarks or gestures toward Pyongyang.

North Korea’s isolation on the world stage has deepened after Kim Jong-un succeeded his father, according to Ri.

He said Kim prioritized internal party politics over diplomacy and pursued party-to-party diplomacy with socialist parties of other countries. As the party took over diplomacy, it often strayed from accepted norms in diplomatic affairs.

“Kim Jong-un came to power without a political base of his own, so he resorted to fear-mongering politics and nuclear and missile developments to try to navigate unstable domestic and international situations,” he said.

“Trump once called Kim ‘rocket man’ because he was so obsessed with nuclear weapons.”

He said he decided to defect because he was disillusioned with the North Korean regime. “I saw no future. I couldn’t see the country going anywhere,” he said.

“The aim of all state affairs in North Korea, including diplomacy, is to protect the Kim dynasty. That is the raison d’etre of North Korea as a country.”

The National Assembly event on Monday marked the first official appearance by Ri since his high-profile defection. The last publicly known senior North Korean diplomat to have defected to South Korea is Tae Yong-ho, who also spoke at the event.

In opening remarks, Tae introduced Ri as “someone who is special” to him since his Pyongyang days. “Back in North Korea, the two of us used to play table tennis and I never once beat him. I would love to have an opportunity for a re-match in Seoul,” he said.

He said Ri’s tales, coming from a recent high-ranking defector, would “offer important clues in understanding how North Korean policies and politics are shifting.”