Taeyoungho "Regret over Chosunggil's Media Exposure... Will Not Question at Foreign Ministry Audit"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, expressed regret over the indiscriminate exposure through the media regarding Jo Seong-gil, the former acting ambassador of North Korea to Italy, going to South Korea, and stated that he would not question this issue during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs audit on the 7th.

On the 7th, Tae said in a statement, "I have no knowledge whatsoever about the whereabouts or news of former acting ambassador Jo."

He said, "When I heard in 2018 that he had escaped from the North Korean embassy in Italy, I actively campaigned to bring him to our Republic of Korea out of long-standing affection," adding, "However, within a month, I learned through an undisclosed channel that former acting ambassador Jo was unable to bring his daughter along during his escape from the North Korean embassy."

Tae explained, "As soon as North Korea became aware that he had escaped the embassy, they immediately ordered embassy staff to forcibly return his daughter to Pyongyang," and added, "I was advised that if former acting ambassador Jo continued to assert and act on going to South Korea under such circumstances, it could create an unfavorable environment not only for him but also for his daughter who was taken back to the North," explaining the reason for halting the push for his move to South Korea.

Tae, who has been a close friend of former acting ambassador Jo for 20 years, said, "I express regret over the indiscriminate exposure of related facts through the media without his consent," adding, "Of course, media outlets report in the interest of the public's right to know, but for North Korean diplomats who have left family and children behind in North Korea, the disclosure of their information is a very important humanitarian issue related to the fate of those family members."

In the case of North Korea, the treatment of family members left behind varies depending on where the defected diplomats are located. If they remain in the host country where they resided, they may be expelled to rural provinces, but if they defect to South Korea, they are labeled as traitors or defectors and may face harsher punishments.

Tae stated, "If defected North Korean diplomats come to South Korea and engage in activities opposing the Kim Jong-un regime or make harmful statements, North Korea never remains passive," and added, "therefore, most former North Korean diplomats in South Korea live quietly, considering the safety of their children and relatives left behind in the North, and our government also does not disclose their identities on humanitarian grounds."

He said, "If former acting ambassador Jo is in South Korea, I hope our media refrains from intense focus and exposure, understanding the feelings of a father who left his daughter behind in the North," and added, "Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs audit will be held today, I do not plan to raise questions related to former acting ambassador Jo."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.