A North Korean government official who illegally entered Russia has reportedly expressed his wishes to defect.

According to Japan’s Kyodo News on Tuesday, the North Korean recently made the request to the Russian government and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. He illegally entered the city of Ussuriysk in the Russian Far East last September.

The North Korean, who reportedly worked for an industry-related ministry of the North Korean government, was sentenced by Russia last November to six months in prison after being arrested on charges of illegal entry.

The North Korean government has reportedly requested that the official be extradited, while Russia has said it would consider granting asylum to the man after he finishes serving his sentence.

Russia’s immigration authorities have, in the past, sent back North Korean escapees that illegally entered Russia out of concerns that Russia could be used as a new route for North Koreans wishing to escape their homeland.