A former senior North Korean diplomat for Cuba has belatedly been found to have defected to South Korea. 

Counselor Ri Il-gyu, who was responsible for political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, reportedly defected with his wife and children in early November last year and has now settled in South Korea.

In an interview with a South Korean media outlet, Ri said that he decided to defect due to demand for bribes from high-ranking officials and North Korean authorities’ refusal to treat his illness. 

Ri had made news in the past when the North Korean ship “Chong Chon Gang” was intercepted in the Panama Canal carrying surface-to-air missiles in 2013, and he successfully negotiated with the Panamanian authorities to release the detained ship.