BEIJING, 3 JAN - Jo Song-gil, for over a year, the North Korean ambassador 'regent' in Italy, has sought asylum with his family at the beginning of December in an "unspecified Western country".
The South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported this, citing anonymous diplomatic sources from Seoul, in what would be another high-level defection among the ranks of Pyongyang officials abroad.
Jo, now "protected" by the Italian authorities "in a safe place", was reported to ANSA, "in charge of business" until November 20th.